Flying Lessons
by jessa824
Summary: Meet Amelia Clark, 6th Year Gryffindor, Muggle Born. Her greatest desire is to play soccer in the Muggle world before going to Healer training. It only gets complicated when she meets Oliver Wood, 7th Year Gryffindor, who is obsessed with Quidditch. Will she give him something else to obsess about? And will he get her into the air?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"Amelia Clark!" George Weasley shouted from his compartment on the train. "Get your cute arse over here!"

"George," she replied, embracing the lanky twin. "How was your summer? And where is your brother?"

"Dreadful, and Fred's off planting something by the Slytherins' compartment," George answered. "Where are your friends?"

"I haven't found them yet," she said. "They've either all failed out or they're hiding from me."

"I think they're down past the Slytherin compartment," Fred said from behind her, "but I wouldn't go that way if I were you. It's bound to get a little…hairy in a moment." Almost as soon as the words were out of Fred's mouth, the group heard the shouts from the Slytherins. Amelia started to ask, but Fred cut her off. "Don't ask, love. You honestly don't want to know."

"Fair enough," Amelia replied. Fred pushed her into their compartment and begged her for help with his O.W.L.s that year. "Only because you're like the younger brother I never had," she scolded. "And that goes for George too. You lot can borrow my notes from last year so you don't have to pay attention this year. And because I'm _so_ nice, I won't report you for whatever you just did and I won't tell Percy it was you, either."

"We knew you loved us, Ames," George teased, planting a very sloppy kiss on her forehead. "I never thought I'd be happy to be friends with a prefect."

"You sure know how to make a girl feel loved, Georgie," Amelia said, smirking. She looked around and noticed that George and Fred were joined by Lee Jordan and a couple of girls in their 5th year as well. Amelia was the only 6th year in the compartment and the only prefect.

Soon, the group was joined by another, a 7th year boy that Amelia only knew by reputation. Oliver Wood strode into the compartment and immediately accused Fred and George for causing the ruckus in the Slytherin compartment. Amelia leapt to their aid. "Relax," she ordered. "I'm a prefect and they're not in trouble."

"You can keep them out of trouble for this," he demanded, raising an eyebrow.

"I can if you don't try to get them into trouble," she snapped. She was about to elaborate further when Percy entered.

"Amelia, don't you think it's time you got into your robes? You want to set a good example and you're due in the Prefects' carriage in 5 minutes," Percy ordered before turning on his heels and leaving. Amelia rolled her eyes, but followed Percy out into the train. She changed quickly before meeting the other prefects for her assignments.

After receiving her assignment, Amelia completed her patrol of the halls and returned to Fred's and George's compartment, still unable to locate her friends. "Have you seen Charity and Kate?" Fred asked.

"Nope," Amelia replied, occupying the seat she had vacated when Percy interrupted; she was slightly put out that her friends hadn't sought her out. "They're either hiding from me or they've failed out of Hogwarts."

"They're probably planning your birthday party," George suggested.

"My birthday was nearly 2 weeks ago, you dolt," Amelia scolded.

"True, my love," Fred reasoned, "however, you were with your family and your friends were not there. There will be a party in Gryffindor tower this weekend."

"And trust us," George added, "you'll want to be there. We've got something quite spectacular planned."

Amelia gave them a distrustful look and was about to respond when the room went terribly cold. She could hear the rasping breath of the dementor as it lurched in the doorway and peered into the compartment. She started to phase out, only to pull her wand and shout "EXPECTO PATRONUM!" With that, a wisp of silver flew out of her wand, pushing the dementor back into the hall. Eventually, the creature left.

"How did you do that?" Angelina asked.

"Something I read about," Amelia replied. Truthfully, she had asked Professor Flitwick for help in learning the charm after she failed at getting the assistance of Professor Lockhart.

A thin man in shabby robes appeared in the doorway moments later and demanded to know who had cast the charm. "I did, Sir," Amelia admitted, fearful that she was about to get into trouble.

"Where did you learn that, Miss?" he asked.

"Clark, Sir. Amelia Clark," she answered. "And I had Professor Flitwick help me learn it last year for O.W.L.s."

"Patronuses aren't on the O.W.L.s, but well done, Miss Clark. I'll look forward to having you in my class. Perhaps you'll do a corporeal patronus." With that, Professor Lupin left the group and continued his rounds on the train, ensuring that the dementors would not be returning.

"Why were there dementors here?" Amelia asked after a few moments.

"Sirius Black has escaped from Azkaban," George explained. "He's a notorious murderer, killed a dozen people with one spell and sold out Potter's parents to You-Know-Who." Amelia nodded her understanding, but was still a bit in the dark.

When the train pulled into Hogsmeade station, Amelia made her way to the platform to help direct the younger students. When most of the students had been properly herded to the correct places, Amelia got into one of the last remaining carriages for the ride to the Castle. "You're the twins' friend, right?" asked the same voice that had earlier challenged Amelia to keep the twins out of trouble.

Turning to face the Scottish boy, Amelia nodded and said, "Yes. And I have a name."

"I'm sure you do, but no one has given it to me yet," Oliver countered.

"Amelia Clark," she said. "And you don't need to introduce yourself. I know who you are."

"I'm sorry for getting shirty with you earlier," he offered. "The twins have a way of getting into so much trouble that they miss Quidditch practice."

"It's fine, really," she replied.

"I heard you fought off a dementor on the train," Oliver said. "That's quite impressive."

"Thanks," Amelia replied. She had hoped that they could ignore each other for the rest of the ride to the castle, but Oliver seemed insistent.

"Where did you learn that spell? I mean, our last 2 Defense teachers have been utterly useless," he continued.

She laughed and nodded. "I had Professor Flitwick teach me the spell last year," she explained. "I had read about it and I wanted to know it in case it was on the O.W.L.s, but, like you said, Quirrel was useless and Lockhart probably did more harm than good. I just hope this year's teacher is better."

The carriage arrived and Oliver helped Amelia out of their carriage and walked with her into the Great Hall, all the while wondering why he had never met her before. They arrived at the Gryffindor table and Amelia found her friends, Charity and Kate. She gave Oliver a friendly wave and went to sit with her friends while he sat with the Quidditch team.

"It looks like you had a good summer," Charity teased. "How did you get to hang out with Oliver Wood?"

"I met him on the train when the twins were entertaining me and I couldn't find you lot," Amelia explained. "We happened to be the last 2 people waiting for a carriage and rode up to the Castle together."

"Were you the one who cast the Patronus?" Kate asked. Amelia nodded. "We heard about that all the way at the other end of the train. What form did it take?"

"It didn't take a form; it was a shield," Amelia answered.

Kate and Charity nodded and Charity said, "That's still impressive."

"Where were you lot on the train?" Amelia asked.

"We were at the front," Kate answered. "Charity was flirting with that Ravenclaw bloke, Davies."

"Shut it," Charity ordered. "He's gorgeous and I've got him to tutor me in Charms."

"You don't need tutoring in Charms," Amelia joked.

"He doesn't know that," Charity joked. "And you lot won't tell him. Perhaps I can get him to take me out to Hogsmeade and we won't spend the year being single wallflowers again."

"Speak for yourself," Amelia ordered. "I don't mind being single or a wallflower. It gives me more time to focus on football training."

"You're still on that?" Kate asked.

Amelia nodded and answered, "I'm hoping to play in the muggle Olympics, so I need to practice since I haven't played on a proper team here."

It seemed like the feast lasted for ages, but finally, the group was heading towards Gryffindor tower. Amelia was side-lined by Prefect duties and was helping some second years by ensuring that they had the password. Percy strode through pompously and called for the first years to follow him. Charity and Kate ran on ahead while Amelia helped a first year who got left behind. "It's o.k., kid," she promised. "I'm in your house and I'll make sure you get to the dormitory just fine."

"Does it have to be such a long way?" asked the first year girl.

"What's your name?" Amelia asked.

"Madison Gardner," she answered. "I'm a muggle born. Is it true what they said on the train? That the muggle borns were attacked last year?"

"Some muggle borns were attacked, but I'm a muggle born and I was fine," Amelia promised. "And the creature that was attacking the muggle borns was destroyed. Professor Dumbledore wouldn't let us come back if it wasn't safe."

"What about those things on the train? The demenders?" Madison asked, tears streaming down her face.

"Well, I managed to send 1 reeling on the train," Amelia answered. "There are ways to defend yourself and there are always Professors around." The child seemed to be a little less nervous when they reached the portrait hole. Amelia turned to her and asked, "Do you remember the password?"

"Fortuna Major," Madison said. The Fat Lady opened the door and welcomed them to Gryffindor tower.

"Now, the girls' dormitories are just over there," Amelia said, pointing. "You'll be on the first level. When you get into your dormitory, you'll find that your belongings have already been delivered. I suggest you get in there and get some sleep as tomorrow will be a busy day."

"Thank you, miss," Madison said. "For everything."

"Anytime, Madison," Amelia promised. She joined her friends by the fire, especially Fred and George. "Is it me, or do the first years get younger every year?"

"You're getting older," George teased. "Now, before you start sagging, what say we have a look at that lovely arse of yours?"

"Bugger off, Georgie," Amelia ordered. "You're not getting anywhere near my arse. I'd be cradle robbing."

"But we need the firmer touch of an older woman," Fred begged.

"You can bugger off too, Freddie," Amelia said. "You're not getting anywhere near my arse either." The twins each gave her a pout, but she refused to concede. She was getting ready to trudge up to her dormitories and get the summer gossip from her friends when Fred looked up and said, "Evening, Cap'n." Amelia turned her head and saw the tall frame of Oliver Wood standing behind her.

"How's your summer, Weasley?" Oliver asked. Fred started to explain, but Oliver cut him off. "I'm not entirely interested. I was being polite. That was decent, what you did for that first year, Clark."

"I was just doing my job, Wood," Amelia answered. "And now, I'm off to bed. I'll see you lot later. And lads, try not to get into trouble on the way to bed. I'm not going to be able to alibi you this time."

As Amelia walked towards the stairway to her dormitory and out of the common room, Oliver watched her closely, smirking to himself. "You realize, Wood, that she's not going to fall for your usual tricks," Fred said.

"It's true, mate. She's got 4 older brothers who are somewhat protective," George continued.

"Do any of them go to Hogwarts?" Oliver asked.

"No, they're all muggles," Fred replied. "But, they also keep her informed on the tricks blokes play to get a bird. You're going to have to be creative if you want to get next to that."

"Cheers, Weasley," Oliver said. "Now, did you lot fly over summer?"

"We didn't exactly have the opportunity," George began.

"I told you lot to fly. This is my last chance. We _have_ to win the cup this year," Oliver scolded. "Be sure you find time to get out before next Saturday."

"What's next Saturday?" Fred asked.

"Quidditch practice," Oliver answered.

In the girls' dormitory, Amelia was gossiping with her friends. "What is going on with you and Oliver Wood?" Kate demanded.

"Nothing is going on," Amelia protested. "I just met him today."

"You are so lucky," Charity added. "I'd give anything to have Oliver Wood notice me. He's _so_ hot!"

"I'll introduce you," Amelia promised.

"Very funny," Charity scolded. "I'll believe it when it happens."

The next morning, Amelia rose early and went to breakfast before her roommates were even out of bed yet. She sat at the Gryffindor table and opened her Defense book to read ahead. She did not expect to be interrupted. "Good morning, Clark," Oliver said. "I didn't know you were an early riser."

"Most mornings, I would have gone running, but my knee has been sore," she replied. Oliver plopped down across the table from her and she put her book away. "I didn't realize you were up this early either."

"Quidditch practice," he answered. "I tend to go out on my own with some charmed quaffles. I would normally have been later for breakfast, but Professor McGonagall warned me about being out too early with the dementors around, so I didn't practice today."

"Thanks for the warning," she said. "I'll remember to plan my runs accordingly."

"What makes you like to run so early?"

"Sometimes, it's the only quiet time I get to myself," she answered. "I love my friends, but sometimes I just need my space. My brothers tend to understand that. Girls don't get it as easily. What makes you like to fly so early?"

"Same thing as you," he answered.

Amelia was almost half-way through her breakfast when Charity and Kate plopped down on either side of her. "Remind us why you're always up so freaking early," Charity demanded.

"I generally go running to stay in condition for the football team," Amelia explained. "And I'm about to keep a promise. Oliver, these are my friends, Charity and Kate. Girls, this is Oliver Wood."

"Good morning, ladies," Oliver said with a chuckle. "And your mate here isn't the only one up early. Unfortunately, I've got to get my schedule from Professor McGonagall and get ready for class. I'll catch you up later." He winked at Amelia and left.

"I think I'm going to be getting up early this year," Kate teased.

"I'll believe it when I see it," Amelia grumbled, hoping that it was an empty promise as she rather treasured those mornings to herself.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Kate and Charity had decided to throw Amelia a birthday party on the Saturday after they returned to school. By the end of dinner on Thursday, they had invited all of the Gryffindor 5th and 6th years. They were contemplating putting one more name on the list when Amelia approached. "What are you lot doing?" she asked.

"Nothing," Kate answered, a bit too quickly. Amelia glared at her until she finally caved. "We're planning the party for Saturday, the same thing we do every year at this time."

"Please don't make it too big," Amelia begged. "Just keep it to Gryffindors."

Charity scowled; she had been hoping to invite Roger Davies, but she also knew that Amelia would get payback at her birthday party if she disobeyed. She and Kate exchanged a look, however, which agreed that they would put Oliver Wood on the guest list. They were convinced that Amelia could get Oliver to fancy her and that she could learn to fancy Oliver. If that worked out, they would, by association, be part of the cool crowd in Gryffindor.

They found Oliver coming out of his Transfiguration class. "Oy! Wood!" Kate called. "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure," he answered, somewhat skeptically. "You're Amelia's friends, right?"

"Yeah, I'm Kate and this is Charity," Kate said. "We wanted to invite you to Amelia's birthday party on Saturday."

"It'll just be in the common room," Charity promised. "We usually shoo the young ones off to bed and start the real festivities at 9 or so."

"And Amelia knows I'm on the guest list?" he asked; he had only really met Amelia the day before.

"She doesn't entirely know, but she knows that there's a party and the guests are all Gryffindors," Kate explained. "You'll come, then?"

"Sure," Oliver promised. The girls started to leave, but he stopped them. "Oy!"

"Yeah?" Charity asked.

"What do I get her for a present?" he asked.

"Be creative," Charity ordered.

"She likes sports," Kate offered.

Oliver shook his head and walked away. He would have to find a present for this mysterious girl who he only just met, and to do that, he would need help. He decided to go to the Weasley twins. He found them lurking outside the library. "What are you lot doing?" he demanded.

"Nothing you need to worry your pretty little head over, Wood," George promised.

"We're just doing some research," Fred added. "Now, the real question is what are you doing?"

"I was looking for you lot," Oliver confessed. "I know you are mates with Amelia and her friends just invited me to the party on Saturday."

"And you need help choosing a present," George finished. Oliver nodded. "You've come to the right place. We'll sneak out to Hogsmeade on Saturday and help you find the perfect gift."

"Or you could just give me a suggestion and I can sneak out on my own," Oliver suggested.

"No, that will never do," Fred replied. "We will have to accompany you and ensure that you don't get into trouble or get lost trying to find your way back. Meet us in the common room at 10 tomorrow." Oliver reluctantly sighed and nodded; he left the twins who smirked at each other. "Our little Ollie is growing up," Fred joked.

"He might just get himself a girlfriend," George teased.

"And if he has other pursuits, maybe he'll ease up on us in Quidditch," Fred finished. "We've got to get them together." George agreed and they began plotting ways to make Oliver and Amelia spend more time together.

Oliver met them the next morning as directed and they led him to a secret passageway and into the village. Once they reached the village, Fred and George set off for Zonko's, promising Oliver that they would meet him behind the Three Broomsticks in an hour. Oliver wandered around, puzzling as to what to get Amelia since he didn't know her that well. Her friends insisted that she liked sports, so he stuck with what he knew and went to find her a book on Quidditch. He returned to meet Fred and George just in time.

"We were beginning to think you'd got lost, mate," George said. "What did you get her?"

Fred grabbed the bag and tutted. "Quidditch? Really, Oliver, you can do better."

"Weasley, I met her 3 days ago. I know that she is a prefect who likes sports. What else was I supposed to get her?"

"Since we know her better than you," George stated, "we can offer help. She does enjoy sports, but muggle sports. I don't know that she knows much about Quidditch."

"Which is why I got her the book, Weasley," Oliver said forcefully.

"I don't think she knows how to fly," Fred suggested, devising a plan to get Oliver to give Amelia flying lessons, and thereby spend loads of time with her. "Perhaps you could add to your present and offer to teach her."

Oliver stopped dead in his tracks and looked at Fred for a moment. "That's not a half-bad idea, Weasley. I am a fair flyer."

"Better than fair," George goaded. "And she might like the tutoring."

"Well spotted," Oliver joked. "Alright, I'll do it. I'll offer her flying lessons."

Oliver took the book up to his dorm when they returned to the common room to wrap it for her. Before wrapping, he wrote a quick inscription, which included an offer of flying lessons. He almost hoped that she would accept his offer of lessons.

By the time the party started, Oliver was second guessing his offer and concerned that she would see the offer as some sort of affront. Unfortunately, the present was wrapped and he couldn't take it back. He considered not bringing it until Fred and George barged into his room, grabbed him by the arms, and dragged him to the party. George also grabbed the present and brought it with him, placing it on the table when they arrived.

"I wasn't expecting you to come," Amelia said when she found Oliver 20 minutes later. "You probably had better things to do."

"Honestly, I didn't," Oliver promised. "And your friends invited me. They really are loyal sots."

Amelia laughed, not a giggle, but a real laugh. Oliver noted it because he rather enjoyed that she laughed; most girls just giggled. "They really are loyal. Someday I'll get them back for it." Oliver chuckled with her quietly.

Across the room, Charity and Kate exchanged knowing glances with each other. "What are we watching, ladies?" Fred asked.

"Just young love blossoming," Kate joked. "They seem to really like each other."

"Wait until you see his present," George promised, wiggling his eyebrows.

"What did he get her?" Charity asked, somewhat nervous.

"A book on Quidditch and an offer of flying lessons," Fred answered. Charity and Kate exchanged another look, almost nervous, but also, hopeful.

"It's about time," Kate exclaimed. "She needs to get herself a boyfriend. I mean, I know Paul was a jerk who messed her about, but Oliver seems like a decent person."

"He is a decent person," Fred promised. "A little fanatical about Quidditch, perhaps, but he's a good bloke."

On the other side of the room, Oliver and Amelia noticed the quartet together. "I think our friends are plotting something," Oliver whispered.

"Charity and Kate want desperately to see me paired up with someone. I guess they figure you'll do," Amelia joked. Oliver laughed out loud. "It's at least good to know you have a sense of humor."

"I do try, especially with Weasley and Weasley as beaters," Oliver answered.

"Can you tell them apart?" Amelia asked; Oliver shook his head. "George has an extra freckle on his neck and Fred is half an inch taller."

"Cheers," Oliver mused, catching that she was right, at least about the height difference. "I'll be sure to use that to my advantage. Of course, in the middle of a Quidditch match, it might be difficult to tell."

"George is left handed and Fred is right handed," she added. "Just watch which arms they use for their bats."

"Do you know Quidditch?"

"Not very well," she replied. "I play football since the rest of my family are muggles, as are the neighbors."

"What position do you play?" he asked.

"I'm a striker; I score goals," she explained. "And I know that you're the best Quidditch keeper in school."

"I don't know about the best," he answered.

"I do," she promised. "I've been to a few games."

"Why don't you play?" he asked.

"Honestly, I can't fly," she said. "I had a really hard time in first year and haven't been on a broom since."

"We'll have to remedy that," he said, with a wink. Then, he invited her to dance. Amelia was surprised, but took his outstretched hand and joined him in the middle of the common room where a make-shift dance floor had been set up.

Noticing that Amelia and Oliver were dancing, Fred motioned to Lee, who was the DJ, and got him to play a slow song. Amelia was going to leave Oliver when the music changed, but he grabbed her hand and held on to her. She nodded and danced with him, mentally kicking herself for letting herself like a boy again after Paul cheated on her and embarrassed her terribly in front of everyone.

"Whoever did it wasn't worth it, love," Oliver promised.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"Whoever hurt you enough that you think you're not worthy of more than one dance wasn't worth your time, or your tears," he explained.

"Thanks," she replied smiling. "It was my last boyfriend, Paul. He cheated on me and embarrassed me in front of everyone last year."

"I remember that," Oliver said, recalling the events. "He stood on the Hufflepuff table and announced to everyone that you wouldn't shag him, right?"

"Thanks for that, but yeah, that was me," she answered.

"If I had known it was a fellow Gryffindor, I would have hexed him for you," he promised. "And that arse is definitely not worth anything. I promise I'll get him back for you."

"Cheers, and don't worry. Fred and George got him back for me," she said with a small smile. "The song's over." She left Oliver on the dance floor and went over to the drinks table.

"Everything alright, love?" George asked.

"It's fine, George," she answered. "But this party is getting old fast and I should probably get to my presents."

"Wait! What did Oliver say?" he demanded.

"Nothing bad," she replied. "He promised to get Paul back, but I'd really just rather forget the whole experience."

"Tell him that," Fred suggested. "He's a good bloke and he won't do anything to intentionally hurt you. Now, what about some presents?" She nodded and sat down to open her presents. She loved the jokes from Fred and George, would have rather lived without the naughty knickers from Charity and Kate who shared evil grins, and was pleasantly surprised to find a present from Oliver.

"You really didn't have to," she said quietly. He gave her a look and she opened the present. "A quidditch book? Nice."

"Read the inscription," he offered.

She read the note he had written on the inside of the book and smirked. "I'd love to," she answered.

"Then meet me here tomorrow morning at half-eight, yeah?"

"Yeah," she replied. "But I haven't got a broom."

"No worries, love. You can borrow one. I'm sure Fred won't mind, will you Fred?" he asked.

"Not at all, princess," Fred replied.

Amelia bade her friends good night and climbed the stairs to her dormitory. She changed into her favorite pajamas and snuggled under the covers on her bed. She was almost asleep when Kate and Charity barged in. "OH NO YOU DON'T," Kate shrieked. "You are not going to sleep right now."

"Why not?" Amelia demanded. "I'm tired and in my bed. I think it's the perfect time to go to sleep."

"We want to know what you and Ollie will be doing at half-eight tomorrow morning," Charity added, wiggling her eyes.

"Flying lessons," Amelia answered. "Nothing more, I promise."

"When these 'lessons' are done, we will, naturally, want all the salacious details," Kate prodded.

"I'm certain that there will be no salacious details," Amelia promised. "Now, I've got to get up early to meet Oliver tomorrow, so I'm going to bed."

The next morning, Amelia woke early and got dressed to meet Oliver. She brought the book with her and was reading by the fire when he entered the common room. "Are you always up early or was this all for me?" Oliver teased.

"Bugger all! You scared the life out of me," Amelia chided. "And I couldn't sleep, so I came to read. Thanks for the book."

"I'm glad you're enjoying it, love. Now, if you'd like to follow me for your lesson, we can head down to the pitch. Best to fly on an empty stomach if you're nervous." Amelia nodded and followed Oliver out of the portrait hole and down to the pitch.

She waited on the pitch while Oliver collected brooms from the changing rooms. "I've brought you Fred's broom," he said. "It's not the fastest broom on the team, which is probably best for a beginner." Oliver set the broom next to her on the ground. "Now, put your arm out over the broom and say 'UP.'"

Amelia did as Oliver instructed and the broom leapt into her hand. "Well done. Now, swing your leg over and mount your broom." Again, Amelia followed Oliver's instructions. "Great. For steering, put your dominant hand in front. To take off, bend your knees slightly and push off the ground. Hover for a few feet and set back down."

Amelia managed to hover, just as Oliver had told her, and set the broom down without incident. The next time she pushed off, she flew a little higher. She kept flying higher until Oliver mounted his broom and took off to catch up with her. "Keep training, love, and you can be a fair flyer," Oliver suggested.

"Thanks," she said. "I've never been able to do this before. I got really nervous when everyone else was learning with me."

"Are you ready to set back down and have breakfast?" Oliver asked. She nodded and they landed, returned the brooms, and headed into the castle for breakfast. At breakfast, Oliver agreed to keep giving Amelia lessons, as long as they would not interfere with Quidditch, and she gratefully accepted.

After breakfast, Kate and Charity were waiting for Amelia on the stairs to the girls' dormitory. "They want all the salacious details," she whispered to Oliver.

"There were no salacious details," he whispered back, their heads very close together.

"I know," she said.

"Let's give them some," he winked and kissed her, gently, on the lips.

"Thanks for the lessons," she said.

"Anytime, love. It was a pleasure flying with you." He smacked her arse as she strode to the stairways, earning a quick glare and a shout of, "Cheeky bugger" before she trotted up to the girls' dormitories.

Kate and Charity stood with mouths gaping as Amelia trotted by. They shook off the shock and followed her upstairs. "What just happened?" Charity demanded.

"You were watching," Amelia cheeked. "You saw everything."

"Those must have been some good flying lessons," Kate teased. Amelia giggled and told the girls that nothing interesting happened on the pitch except flying and that Oliver was just being cheeky in the common room. "I doubt it," Charity insisted, but Amelia wouldn't budge.

In the boys' dormitories, Oliver was set upon by Fred and George. "Don't worry, Fred, your broom survived," he promised. "She's actually set to be a fair flyer."

"We heard, from a little birdie," George started.

"That you just kissed her," Fred finished.

"Aye, I did," Oliver admitted. "It was a joke on her friends who were waiting for the details of a whole lot of nothing."

"Olly, when are you going to wise up and get a girlfriend," George demanded.

"I don't have girlfriends," Oliver replied, rolling his eyes. "I have friends who are girls, but I don't date."

"Maybe it's time to start," Fred suggested. "She's pretty, smart, athletic, and funny."

"Also, she's not entirely impressed by your Oliver-ness," George finished. "She's the perfect girl for you." Oliver rolled his eyes and sent the twins out of his room. When he was finally alone, he heaved a sigh; if he was being truthful, what the twins suggested wasn't a bad idea. He really did like Amelia and enjoyed all the time he spent with her.

But he worried that she might not like him, at least not in a way that the twins (and he, for that matter) wanted. It had happened before; he had liked a girl and found out either she was a total twit or she didn't like him back. Amelia seemed different though. She definitely wasn't a giggling twit, and she seemed like a genuinely good person.

Oliver decided not to do anything for the moment. He agreed, to himself, that he would keep giving her flying lessons and simply see what happened. If they were both still single by the next Hogsmeade trip, he might invite her for a butterbeer.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

By the time the first Hogsmeade weekend of the year neared in early October, Amelia and Oliver had established themselves in a very close friendship. They had weekly flying lessons and frequent runs together, and often spent time hanging out in the common room together. Amelia found herself liking Oliver more the more time they spent together. It astounded her that he didn't seem to be interested in snogging her (it also killed her a little because in spite of her protestations to her friends, she had started to fancy him). So, after their flying lesson on the Saturday before the next Hogsmeade weekend, Amelia was taken aback when Oliver asked, "Do you mind if I ask you a question?"

"You just did, but you may ask another," she teased.

"And that's what I like best about you," he said. "You don't mind tearing the mickey out of me if I deserve it."

"Right, but you haven't asked your question yet," she prodded.

"Yeah, I was wondering if you're going to Hogsmeade next weekend," he said.

"I am going with Kate and Charity," she answered. Noticing his face fall, she added, "But I don't mind being kidnapped from them if you're inviting me and I'm sure they'll approve."

"Yeah, I'm inviting you, although that was pretty shit," he said, smirking. "So, would you like to go to Hogsmeade with me on Saturday?"

"I'd love to," Amelia answered. "It will save me from several hours of swooning over Roger effing Davies and his perfect hair, or teeth, or grades, or whatever, and I'm sure to enjoy the company."

"Good," Oliver said. "We can meet in the common room and go to the village together." Amelia nodded and smiled as she helped Oliver put the brooms away. She was also starting to think of ways to ask her parents to buy her a broom as she had started to really enjoy flying.

When she got back to her dormitory, Kate and Charity barely acknowledged her entrance; they had given up trying to get anything out of Amelia about the flying lessons and the few times they had spied it had been exactly as Amelia said. They had almost given up hope that Amelia and Oliver could fancy each other. "How was your morning, ladies?" Amelia asked.

"Fine," Kate answered not looking up from her _Witch's Cosmo_.

"Wait a minute," Charity ordered. "What's happened? You never act like this after flying."

"I'm sorry, but I won't be able to go to Hogsmeade with you lot next weekend," Amelia divulged.

"And why not?" Kate demanded.

"Because I'm going with Oliver," Amelia answered, proudly.

"You fancy him," Charity stated. It wasn't a question, but it wasn't wrong, so Amelia shrugged her shoulders and nodded. Charity and Kate squealed with delight. It had been almost a year since Amelia had shown any interest in a boy. They immediately demanded to know how he had asked her.

"He just asked if I had plans to go to the village and I said I was going with you lot, but wouldn't mind canceling if he was asking. Then he just asked and I said yes," Amelia giggled, beaming.

"What are you going to do?" Kate asked.

"We haven't entirely decided," Amelia replied. "We're going to meet in the common room to go to the village together."

Oliver had tried to keep from smirking too broadly so as to avoid suspicion, but Fred and George noticed that he was smiling and less demanding during their next Quidditch practice. They volunteered to help put away the balls. "What's going on? You lot never volunteer to help put away the balls," Oliver demanded.

"We were going to ask you the same question," Fred said. "What has you going so easy on us?"

"Nothing," Oliver said, too fast. Fred and George exchanged a look and threatened to release the bludgers if he didn't give them an answer. "Fine. I'm taking Amelia to Hogsmeade on Saturday. Are you lot happy?"

"We're very happy for you, mate," George said. "We've been telling you for weeks that she's a cool bird."

"Yeah, well, now we've got a date and I have no idea where to take her," Oliver admitted.

"Take her for tea and buy her some chocolates," Fred suggested. "She's a girl, not a dragon."

Oliver nodded, and opened the cabinet for the ball crate. They stowed their gear and returned to the castle. Oliver joined Amelia at the Gryffindor table and she noticed the twins smirking. "Good practice?" she asked.

"Yeah," Oliver answered. "We're finally flying as a team. Slytherin don't stand a chance."

"Good," she said. She almost turned her head when she heard a lot of tittering from behind them, but Oliver put a hand on her arm.

"Ignore them," he suggested. "They're apparently 4th year girls who have taken a liking to me or something. They want to know if you're really my girlfriend."

"I could snog you now and get rid of them for you," she offered, "but I wouldn't want your ego to get any bigger."

"Thanks for reminding me I'm still human," Oliver teased. "Of course, I could go for a snog right about now. I haven't been snogged properly in a while."

"And now I'm sorry I said anything," she joked. "But if you really feel like you need it, I'll go and get one of those 4th years."

"I thought you were a nice person," Oliver replied. "And now, you're just teasing a poor bloke."

"Come on, love," Fred added. "Just give him a nice little snog so that he goes easy on us in practice again tomorrow." Amelia rolled her eyes and tossed a roll at Fred's head. He caught it and ate it, adding, "Thanks. I'm practically starving."

Amelia stood to leave, but Oliver took a chance and grabbed her arm, pulling her into his lap. "What about that snog?" he asked.

"I told you I could call one of those 4th years, but you declined the offer," she said. "Now, I'm going back to the common room so that I can finish a potions essay before I fail and am unable to go to healer training."

"You want to be a healer?" Oliver asked, loosening his grip.

"Does that surprise you?"

"A little," he answered. "Alright, go study. I'll have to drown my sorrows in chocolate since I didn't get that snog, but I'll survive." Amelia smirked and sauntered off from the Great Hall towards Gryffindor tower. She used the walk to consider what had just happened. She had wanted to snog Oliver, but she didn't want to do it in so public a setting and she was nervous that he was just playing along. At least, she was nervous until he pulled her into his lap. For a second, she thought (and hoped) that he would simply snog her at dinner, and while she hoped for that it also terrified her. _What if he thinks I'm a terrible snog?_ she wondered. Paul, her last boyfriend, had frequently told her that she was terrible at snogging; of course, she always hated how he seemed to slobber all over her.

Amelia's daydreaming was interrupted by the Fat Lady asking for the password. She gave the password and entered the common room. Somehow, she must have taken a long walk after dinner, as Oliver was already there. "What took you so long?" he asked. "You left dinner half an hour ago."

"I guess I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," she said. "I should go and work on that essay." She made to go for the girls' dormitories.

"What's wrong?" Oliver asked.

"It's really nothing," she answered. "I'm just tired and busy. I promise."

Oliver didn't believe her, but he let her go, sensing that she was not likely to spill what was really bothering her to him, especially since they barely knew each other. He did, however, set Kate and Charity on her. "Oy! Kate," he called.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"Could you lot go and find out what is bothering Amelia?" Oliver pled. "She says she's fine, but I don't really believe her and I don't think she'll tell me about whatever it is."

"What happened at dinner?" Charity queried.

"She and I flirted and joked and it got a little weird," he admitted. "There was lots of talk of snogging." Kate and Charity shared a look, which prompted Oliver to ask, "What is that about?"

"We shouldn't tell you," Kate said. "It's Amelia's secret to share if she wants."

"If it's something I did, I want to apologize," Oliver offered. "I promise not to make fun of her or anything bad."

"She gets nervous about snogging," Charity admitted. "Her last boyfriend constantly complained about it and said she was rubbish at it."

"That explains a lot," Oliver said. "Thanks and go cheer her up. If necessary, tell her you heard from the last girl I dated that I'm a terrible snog or something."

"Is it true?" Kate asked.

"How should I know? I've never rated myself snogging. Just cheer her up." Kate and Charity agreed and went off to find Amelia.

When they found her in the dormitory, she was trying to do her potions homework, but failing miserably. "What's going on?" Kate asked, plopping onto Amelia's bed.

"Nothing," Amelia answered. Charity also plopped onto her bed and informed her that they would be staying until she spilled. Finally, Amelia told them about dinner and how it had freaked her out.

"Seriously," Charity started, "Paul was an ass. He didn't deserve you and he took pleasure in torturing you."

"And, he was the one who was bad at snogging," Kate promised. "I'm certain that your skills are more than satisfactory."

"Do you think so?" Amelia asked.

"We know so," Charity said, finally.

Saturday dawned chilly and the outfit that Amelia had planned to wear for her date with Oliver had to be scrapped as she was sure to freeze in it. So, she chose a simple sweater and jeans, paired with a scarf and beanie set. She met Oliver in the common room as planned and he said, "You look beautiful."

"Thanks," she replied. "Shall we head out then?"

"Come on, love," Oliver said, offering his arm. She took it and followed him through the castle and grounds into the village. "Shall we get some tea since it's so chilly?"

"Tea would be lovely," she answered, nervously. Oliver led her through the town to Madam Puddifoot's Tea Room. It was overly dark and there were only tables for 2. She noticed that the only other patrons were couples, many of whom were holding hands or snogging across the small tables. Oliver got them a table and ordered teas when Madam Puddifoot came over. For several minutes, they tried to maintain a conversation, but both were extremely uncomfortable with the place. It was so bad, they resorted to talking about the weather.

"Can I ask you something?" Amelia finally said when the teas were delivered.

"Sure," Oliver answered.

"Are you having a good time? Because, this is definitely not us," she said.

"Thank Merlin you think so too. Shall we head out?" he offered. She grabbed his hand as he dropped some coins on the table to pay for the teas. "That was bloody awful," he said in the street.

"Agreed. Now, where should we go?"

"I have an idea," he said. Oliver led her through the streets, first to Honeydukes, so he could buy her some chocolate, then to the Three Broomsticks. He bought them each a butterbeer while she secured them a booth in the back.

"This is much better," Amelia commented when Oliver set the drink in front of her. Oliver agreed and they spent several hours joking and laughing together, each consuming several drinks. Finally, they had to leave and started the long walk to the castle. When they got back to the grounds, Amelia started to walk back to the castle, but Oliver pulled her away and led them to the Quidditch pitch.

"Why are we here?" Amelia asked.

"It just seemed right," he answered. "And this way we can have a little while together before the others set upon us for the dirty details."

"Do we have dirty details?" she teased.

"Not yet, but I'm hopeful," he joked. She started to laugh, but Oliver grabbed her head and kissed her before she could back away. She didn't have time to freak out and Oliver was a good snog. She sank into the kiss and started to kiss back. Unsure of what to do with her hands, she did what felt natural and put them on Oliver's waist. His arms encircled her and pulled her as close to him as he could.

When they broke apart, she looked down and said, "I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" he asked.

"I'm not very good at snogging," she answered. "I wish I was better."

"You were fine, love," Oliver promised. She gave him a look. "Did you enjoy it?"

"What?"

"Did you enjoy the snogging?" he repeated.

"Yes," she answered, blushing.

"No need to blush, love, I enjoyed it, too," he said. "If it was good for both of us, you have nothing to worry about. I promise. Now, shall we go for dinner?"

"Sure," Amelia answered, smiling. It was the first time that she had enjoyed a date, and a snog. Oliver seemed to know how to put her at ease and even though she was still a little hesitant to believe that she was good at snogging, she had to admit that the kiss they had shared was better than any she had shared with anyone else.

Oliver held her hand as he led her across the grounds and to the Great Hall. At dinner, they sat together, but Oliver separated them from their friends. "Why are we sitting down here?" she asked.

"Because I'm a selfish git who doesn't want to share you with anyone else," he answered. "It's been such a fun day, just the two of us, that I wanted to keep it going."

Amelia smirked and continued eating her dinner. Their friends noticed that they sat apart from everyone else, but also noticed how happy they both seemed and left them alone. "They're going to interrogate us, aren't they?" Amelia asked.

"Most certainly," Oliver answered. "We should mess around with them a bit. Don't tell them about the good parts. Tell them how awkward it was in Madam Puddifoot's. Then, meet me in the common room at midnight." Amelia nodded, and winked. Then, as a show for their friends, she rolled her eyes and glared at Oliver before standing to leave. As soon as she passed them, she heard Kate and Charity get up from the table.

"What just happened?" Charity asked, when they caught up to Amelia in the hall.

"What do you mean?" Jane answered.

"You and Oliver looked so cute together, then you rolled your eyes, glared, and left," Kate replied. "Now, what happened?"

"Nothing important," Amelia promised. "It was just a long day of awkward conversations."

"Where did he take you?" Charity asked.

"Madam Puddifoot's for tea," Amelia answered.

"Ooo! I love that place," Kate cooed. "It's so romantic; it's perfect for a date."

"Not for the first date when you barely know each other," Amelia pointed out. "We were surrounded by happy, snogging couples." Amelia spent the next hour detailing, and embellishing, the events at Madam Puddifoot's to Charity and Kate; she left out the part where they left and had a great time for the rest of the day. Amelia was able to escape any further interrogation by begging off to do prefect duties. By the time she returned, they had gone to bed and it was nearly time to meet Oliver.

"I had a good time today," Oliver said, descending the stairs from the boys dormitory; Amelia jumped.

"You scared me," she scolded. "But, I had a good time today, too." He sat next to her on the sofa in front of the fire.

"I'd like to do it again, if you'll let me," he offered; he leaned in towards her.

"I think that would be nice," she answered. She mimicked his movements and leaned towards him. Oliver closed the distance and kissed her again. They were so lost in the moment that neither heard Kate and Charity on the girls' stairway or Fred and George on the boys' stairway. The 2 pairs exchanged knowing looks across the common room. Fred and George thought about making a noise, but decided against it.

When they broke apart, Oliver looked at Amelia and asked, "Does that mean you'll be my girlfriend?"

Amelia wasn't going to say anything, but Kate called from the stairway, "Say yes!"

"Yes," Amelia answered, laughing.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The gossip about Oliver and Amelia spread quickly through the castle, though Amelia couldn't understand why. She eventually just assumed that it was because Oliver Wood, Quidditch captain extraordinaire, had a girlfriend. She and Oliver acted much the same as they had before they started dating. They went running and he continued to offer her flying lessons; the only thing that had really changed was that now, after a run or flying lesson, they frequently snogged. Amelia started to really enjoy the snogging and Oliver kept assuring her that it was very good.

By the time the Halloween weekend arrived, they were both looking forward to the large party that would be thrown after hours in Gryffindor tower. "I love the feast, but I'd really like to get back to the commons, a nice cozy corner, and a bonny lass in my lap," Oliver joked at the feast.

"Will I have to beat her up so that I can take that position in your lap?" Amelia joked.

"I was rather hoping that you'd offer to be the bonny lass in my lap," he teased. "I mean, of course, if you're not otherwise engaged."

"I'm not busy, and I'll be happy to be the bonny lass in your lap," she promised.

"Well, now that's settled, we should head back to the tower so you can sit on my lap and I can snog you without interference from any professors," Oliver suggested. Amelia nodded and stood with Oliver, holding his hand. He led them through the Castle to Gryffindor tower, but their progress was stopped by a large group of students waiting on the stairway. Amelia tried to push her way through, using the excuse that she was a prefect, but there were too many people in the way. Finally, Percy pushed through the crowd and summoned Professor Dumbledore.

"Does anyone know what the hell is going on?" Fred asked.

"I thought that it was just someone who forgot the password," Amelia said, "but if Percy has sent for Professor Dumbledore it must be more serious." Almost as soon as the words were out of her mouth, Professor Dumbledore arrived and ordered everyone back to the Great Hall. He waved his wand and vanished the house tables; in their place, he produced purple sleeping bags. He ordered the prefects to meet at one end of the Great Hall and Amelia left Oliver, with a squeeze of his hand. When the prefects were let go, they were given instructions to take turns patrolling the hall while the teachers searched the castle.

Amelia returned to Oliver and her friends after getting her instructions. "I have to patrol for the next hour," she said. "I'll find you lot when I'm off duty. Save me a sleeping bag." She went to leave, but Oliver grabbed her and pulled her into a hug.

"Are you alright?" he whispered.

"Fine," she whispered back. "I'll be fine. I'll find you soon." She kissed his cheek and went back to her rounds. She joined a Hufflepuff prefect to complete their rounds.

"You're Wood's girlfriend," he said.

"Yeah," she answered. "You're the Hufflepuff captain? Diggory, right?"

"Yeah, Cedric," he answered. "How's the team shaping up this year?"

"I'm the wrong person to ask," Amelia said. "I don't play quidditch and Oliver and I don't discuss strategy."

"I'm just making conversation," Cedric promised. "I'm not trying to learn your secrets." Amelia was about to respond, but she noticed a few Slytherins getting into mischief, so she ordered them back to their house group and left. She and Cedric managed polite conversation for the rest of their rounds and when they were done, she returned to the Gryffindor corner.

She found Oliver in the middle with a sleeping bag for her. "Thanks," she said, sitting on the bag.

"No problem," Oliver promised. "How were your rounds?"

"I was paired with the Hufflepuff guy, Cedric," she answered. "It was fine."

"Diggory?" Oliver asked; she nodded. "Prat," Oliver muttered.

"He was polite and we didn't discuss your precious quidditch team," Amelia said with an eye roll.

"What was the eye roll for?" Oliver demanded.

"It's nothing, you're just over protective of your quidditch team," she scolded. "I don't play and I don't have access to your secrets, so it's unlikely that I'll share anything that will damage your team."

"Sorry," he muttered.

"It's late and we should get some sleep," she said. "I'm going to have to do rounds again in a few hours." Amelia climbed into her bag and curled up. She was almost asleep when she felt an arm around her. Her first instinct was to tense, but she realized it was Oliver's arm and she sank back into sleep.

Amelia was woken a few hours later by Percy shaking her shoulder. "It's time for your next set of rounds, Amelia," he said. "And it's probably best if a Professor doesn't catch you like that."

"We weren't doing anything wrong, Perce," Amelia protested in a whisper. "We were just sleeping."

"You don't have to sell me on that Amelia," Percy promised. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah," she said. "Who am I with this time?"

"You're paired with Diggory again," Percy answered. "You worked out well the last time and I didn't have to deal with any crap from either of you."

Amelia nodded and met up with the Hufflepuff boy by the main entrance. They wandered around the Great Hall, ensuring that no one was there who shouldn't be, but almost everyone was sleeping and the hour crept by. They found themselves sat by the main entrance with half an hour of their time left and not a lot to do. "I know you dated Paul Jenkins," Cedric said.

"I did, last year," Amelia replied. "I hope that doesn't damage your opinion of me."

"If I'm being honest, I think Jenkins is a total ass," Cedric promised. "He seems to think that the world owes him for something."

"Thanks," Amelia said quietly.

"How are you liking N.E.W.T. level classes?" he asked.

"They're alright, I guess. Potions is a pain in the arse, but Transfiguration, Herbology and Charms are good and I really love Defense," she answered. "What about you? What are you taking?"

"I'm in Potions, and I think I'm in your Transfiguration class," he answered. "You sit at the front, right?"

"Yeah," she answered. "I guess I didn't realize you were in that class. What else do you take with me?"

"Herbology," he said, with a chuckle. "I sometimes wonder why I took that class to N.E.W.T. level."

"At least it's not Divination," she joked. "I tried that for 3 years and wanted to throw Professor Trelawney out the window by the end. Luckily, I failed the O.W.L. miserably."

"How can you fail that class?"

"Easy, you describe the tester as what you see in the crystal ball during the exam," she said. Cedric laughed, loudly enough that a nearby student complained. "Sorry," she said. "We'll keep it down."

"So, have you picked a topic for the Herbology project?" he asked after a few minutes of silence and a few head nods.

"I haven't," she said. "I'm a bit stumped. What about you?"

"No, and there's nothing I can think of just yet," he replied.

A look at the clock showed them that their hour had finally ended. "Thanks, Cedric. It's been pleasant."

"Cheers, Amelia, and likewise," he replied.

Amelia returned to the Gryffindor area just as people were starting to wake. "Did you sleep well?" she asked Kate and Charity, plopping in between them.

"It was alright," Kate answered. "How were your rounds?"

"Not bad," Amelia said. "I got paired with that Hufflepuff bloke, Diggory. He's a decent bloke."

"Did he try to learn our quidditch secrets?" Charity asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"No, we kept it professional," Amelia promised. "He didn't even ask about personal things. We just talked about classes."

Oliver snuck up behind Amelia and grabbed her, eliciting a screech. "You are such an ass," she teased.

"Sorry, love, but I couldn't wait to wish you good morning," Oliver replied. "So, good morning."

"Good morning," Amelia answered.

Professor Dumbledore interrupted any other conversation that could have occurred between Oliver and Amelia when he returned to the Great Hall. He vanished all of the sleeping bags and returned the house tables to their normal places. Most students stuck around and had breakfast before returning to their dormitories. Amelia and Oliver were not an exception to that, opting to eat before doing anything else. "How were rounds?" Oliver asked when they were seated.

"They were fine," Amelia answered. "Percy kept me paired with Cedric since we worked out so well earlier."

"How was that?" Oliver asked, with a hint of sarcasm.

"Oliver, he was very pleasant," she promised. "He only asked about course work and my friends. We didn't discuss quidditch. Cedric's a decent bloke and he won't try to cheat to win. He's not a Slytherin."

"Thanks," Oliver replied, somewhat reassured. He knew that Cedric was one of the few people in the school that would never try to cheat to win a match. He also knew that he was probably trustworthy around Amelia, since there were rumors that he was dating another Hufflepuff girl in his year.

After breakfast, Oliver and Amelia joined their friends in returning to Gryffindor tower. When they arrived, Amelia went to leave, but Oliver pulled her aside. "What are your plans for the rest of the day?" he asked.

"I was going to shower and brush my teeth since I'm fairly sure I'm disgusting," she started. "Then, I had plans to do homework for a while. I've got a Potions essay due tomorrow that I have to finish."

"Fair enough," he replied. "But, when you're done, come down here and sit with me?"

"You're a silly sod," she teased. "Of course." And she did as promised. She went and got showered and changed. Then, she finished her Potions essay and even got a head start on the Transfiguration homework that was due that week. After finishing homework, she was hungry. She met Oliver in the common room and they went to the Great Hall for lunch together.

The next weekend, Gryffindor played Hufflepuff in the first Quidditch match of the season. Oliver became very stressed during the week, which led to Amelia ignoring him for a day until he apologized for snapping at her. On the day of the game, Amelia joined Kate and Charity in donning red and gold before heading down to the Quidditch pitch. She stole a moment with Oliver before the game started. "Good luck," she said, kissing his cheek.

"Cheers, love, and try to stay warm," he suggested.

"I'll try, but it's not looking good. After the game, you'll have to warm me up," she teased. She gave him another quick kiss and headed into the cold to join her friends. When the game ended in Hufflepuff victory, Amelia could see the sagging in Oliver's shoulders from the stands. She sent her friends back to Gryffindor tower while she waited for Oliver. He went into the changing rooms and did not emerge for over an hour. So, Amelia went in looking for him.

"Oliver?" she called. "Are you still in here?" There was no answer, so Amelia went further into the room. She noticed the door to an office slightly ajar; when she reached it, she pushed it open and found Oliver slumped over on his desk, playing with a miniature pitch and muttering to himself.

"Oliver," she said. "What are you doing?"

Oliver jumped when he heard her, startled. "You scared me, love," he scolded. "And I'm just reliving the horror of that game. Harry could have died."

"You know your team is upstairs, thinking that you're upset over losing," she said.

"I am, but what's worse is that a teammate was injured and could have been killed," he replied. "It would have been my fault."

"It wouldn't have been your fault," she promised. "It was the dementors. They prey on your worst memories and Harry has some really bad memories, even if they are fairly deep. You shouldn't beat yourself up. Now, come on. Let's go commiserate with the rest of your team."

"How did I get this lucky?" he asked. She gave him a quizzical look. "If this had happened last year, before I knew you, I would have spent the entire night and most of tomorrow wallowing in self pity in there. You made it all better, ducky."

"I highly doubt that, but thank you for the compliment," she said. "Now, let's go back to the common room and you can snog me until you're sure you're all better."

"Wouldn't it be better to snog here, where there aren't so many people?"

"That is a better idea," she answered. He closed the short distance between them and kissed her, softly. She kissed back, running her hands through his hair. He grasped her waist and lifted her up; she wrapped her legs around his waist. He backed them up so that she was against a wall without breaking the kiss. They kept kissing for as long as they dared, but finally, Amelia broke the kiss.

"Sorry, but we should really get back before we're caught out of bounds," she said, breathing rather heavily.

"Sure," he choked. "But perhaps you should comb your hair before we leave. You look as though you've been thoroughly snogged."

"I have been thoroughly snogged, and you should comb your hair too," she said, blushing. Oliver promised that she had nothing to blush about and produced a comb. They both combed through their hair before returning to Gryffindor tower.

When they entered, Fred and George were waiting. "And what took you so long after the game, Cap'n?" Fred teased.

"Was there an extra practice that we're not aware of?" George added.

"Bugger off, Weasleys," Oliver ordered. "We weren't doing anything." The twins were going to keep pestering Oliver until they saw the look Amelia was giving them. They decided to let them be as neither wanted a detention from her. The atmosphere, aside from the twins, in the Gryffindor common room was rather subdued. A victory would have meant a victory party, but with a loss, people were feeling less festive. So, Amelia and Oliver sat in a corner of the room and ignored the sympathetic looks everyone was sending at Oliver.

"You know, it's still mathematically possible for Gryffindor to win the cup," Amelia pointed out when Oliver started sulking again. He gave her a look, so she added, "You'll have to beat both Ravenclaw and Slytherin, and they'll each have to beat Hufflepuff, but it's possible."

Oliver looked at her, stunned, but did not speak. He found that he was rather speechless for a second. Then, he shook his head and kissed her, hard. She was shocked at first, but quickly recovered and kissed him back. They only stopped when they realized the entire house was chanting. Blushing, Amelia hid her head in Oliver's chest and he made a rude gesture at everyone. Kate and Charity smirked at the Weasley twins from across the room.

It was after midnight when Percy shooed almost everyone out of the common room. Oliver and Amelia had taken up residence on the sofa in front of the fire and she was snoozing against his chest. "Love, you've got to wake up," he said quietly.

"I don't want to," she mumbled.

"You should go to bed," he suggested. "It's late and you're sleeping and while I'm quite comfortable with our current arrangements, I don't think Professor McGonagall would approve."

"Mmmm," she whined. Finally, Oliver was able to wake her enough to get her to go to bed. She gave him a scathing look before ascending the stairs to the girls' dormitory.

The next morning, Amelia met Oliver at breakfast and he was brooding over his porridge. "Really, Ol, I told you last night you can still win the cup," she teased; Oliver didn't respond. He kept poring over a letter that he was holding and Amelia was going to say something further, but decided against it. Instead, she ate quickly and followed Oliver out of the Great Hall, catching him in the hallway.

"Oliver!" she called. "Is everything alright?"

"Yeah," he answered. "Sorry. I just got a letter from my parents."

"What did they have to say that has given you fits of the sullens?" she joked.

"They like to try to talk me out of playing quidditch," he replied. Amelia took his hand and led him out onto the grounds for a walk. "They don't seem to get that I'll be miserable doing anything else. That, and they want to meet you since I now have a girlfriend."

"You told them about me?"

"Of course," he said. "I tell them about everything that matters and you matter quite a lot to me." Amelia smiled and blushed slightly.

"Thanks," she answered. "I don't think anyone I've dated has ever said that about me. Now, what will we do about your parents?"

"Well, as much as they don't like the idea of me playing professional quidditch, they're at least supportive of whatever I choose to do," he started. "As for them meeting you, I thought perhaps you could come for part of the Christmas holiday."

"I'll write my parents and ask permission, but I'm not sure they'll let me go to Scotland to see a boy," she said. "They're rather over-protective." After walking around the grounds, they returned to Gryffindor tower where Amelia worked on writing a letter to her parents.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Amelia did write her parents and ask permission to go visit Oliver over the Christmas holiday. The response she got was not entirely enthusiastic, since she hadn't told her parents she was dating anyone until she wrote home, but they did agree that she could go, since Oliver's parents were going to be there. On the last Hogsmeade weekend before the holiday, Amelia and Oliver split up for a while to do some Christmas shopping with their friends before they would meet up at the Three Broomsticks.

"You're really going home for Christmas?" Charity asked. She had a habit of inviting Kate and Amelia to her house over the holidays and they usually went.

"I am, this year," Amelia answered. "And then I'm going to Oliver's over New Year so I can meet his parents."

"Wow," Kate mused. "This is almost serious."

"Almost serious?" Charity interjected. "If she's going to meet his parents, it's definitely serious. Plus, I've been hearing rumors about snogging escapades all over the castle, including in his Captain's office."

"The Captain's office is true," Amelia said, coyly. "Some of the others are also true, but not all. We haven't snogged anywhere near the Potions dungeon and there has been no sneaking into Hogsmeade to shag in the Shrieking Shack."

"We know," Kate promised, "though, we had hoped for a good story."

"Sorry to disappoint," Amelia joked. "Now, what should I get Oliver for Christmas?"

"Are you doing gifts before you leave or when you meet up at his house?" Charity asked.

"When we meet up at his house, which also means I have to have gifts for his parents, but he's helped me with those," Amelia replied.

"What are you thinking about for Oliver?" Kate pressed.

"I'm not sure," Amelia answered, truthfully. "We have only been going out for a few months, and I don't really know him that well. The twins suggested sexual favors, which was completely unhelpful. I was thinking something about football, since he got me into Quidditch for my birthday, but I also thought that was a cop out."

"It's not," Charity promised. "It's actually a good idea since sport is something you lot have in common, and it's slightly romantic since that's how you got together." Amelia was strengthened by Charity's assertions and the girls went into the Quidditch store, but there was nothing remotely close to football there. Instead, Amelia bought Oliver some sweets and decided to go shopping with her mum when she was home the next week.

While Amelia was shopping with Charity and Kate, Oliver was shopping with his roommate, Collin Brown. And he was puzzling over what to get Amelia for Christmas. "What does she like?" Collin asked.

"I've told you, mate, she's into sports and muggle music," Oliver answered, with a sigh. "But I got her a quidditch book for her birthday, with flying lessons, so I can't go that route again."

"What about jewelry?" Collin suggested. "Girls like jewelry."

"I've only ever seen her wear a football charm," Oliver answered. "I've never paid attention to her ears and I've never seen her with a watch."

"What is her favorite color?" Collin asked.

"Light blue," Oliver answered. Oliver wasn't paying attention and realized that Collin had steered them to a clothing store where there were fuzzy scarves and hats. "Well done, mate. She likes fuzzy things that keep her warm. She's always bumming my sweatshirts."

"I've noticed," Collin replied. "And there is a set in a lovely light blue right over there." Oliver smirked and left the shop with his purchase in his hands. He also intended to have flowers sent to her on Christmas Eve, but he wasn't going to tell anyone else that.

On the train home for the Christmas holidays, Amelia and her friends joined Oliver and the Weasley twins in their compartment. They passed the hours playing games and discussing the latest gossip from the Quidditch pitch, specifically that Ravenclaw flattened Slytherin. "If we beat both Ravenclaw and Slytherin by the right margin, we could still win the cup," Oliver mused.

"You've told us that 5 times, Wood," Fred accused.

"And that's just in the last hour," George added.

"Am I that bad?" Oliver asked.

"You're just excited, Ol," Amelia promised. "They'll survive it, as will I."

"Cheers, Ames," Oliver said. "I'll let it go for a bit. So, you'll be taking the train to East Kilbride on the 30th?"

"Yes," Amelia answered. "Mum and Dad have booked my train and I'm getting in around 3:15 in the afternoon." Amelia curled up next to Oliver using him as a pillow and took a nap. He woke her as the train was pulling into the station. Before exiting the train, he kissed her and wished her a Happy Christmas.

"I'll see you in 10 days," he promised, kissing her once more on the forehead.

"I look forward to it," she replied. "And perhaps over summer you'll meet my parents."

"I'd love to meet them," he answered. She was going to tease him, but Oliver saw his father and called him over. "Da, this is Amelia Clark. Ames, this is my Da. You'll meet him again when you visit."

"It's lovely to meet you sir, but I should get to my parents," Amelia said. "They're probably on the other side of the barrier wondering where I am. That, or they've sent one of my brothers to escort me on the train to Leeds and he is on the other side of the barrier."

"I won't keep you, then, dear, and I look forward to meeting you next week," Oliver's father, Edward, said.

Amelia found her eldest brother waiting for her just beyond the barrier. "Hello, Bran," she said. "Mum and Dad send you to get me?"

"Yes," Brandon answered. "Did your boyfriend leave already?"

"He met his dad on the platform and they're heading for Scotland. Why?"

"I was hoping to meet this bloke," Brandon teased. Out of all of her brothers, Amelia got on with Brandon the best. She thought that it had to do with his trust in her to make the right decisions for herself. His request to meet Oliver was only so that he could tease her mother; he really was sure that she could choose for herself who to date.

"You might be in luck," Amelia said, spotting Oliver and his Dad arriving on their side of the barrier. "Oy! Oliver!" She waved him over and Oliver strode to her, followed by his Dad. "Ol, this is my brother Brandon. Bran, this is Oliver," she said, introducing them.

"Good to meet you, Brandon," Oliver said, extending his hand.

"Likewise, Oliver," Brandon replied, shaking Oliver's hand. "And now, I can lord it over our mother that I met you first. Alright, kid, we've got to go. Mum and Dad want us on the next train to Leeds."

"Bye, Ol," Amelia said, with a wave. "I'll see you next week." Oliver bade her goodbye and waved, watching her leave with her brother.

"She's lovely, Oliver," Edward said. "Very lovely, indeed."

"I know, Da," Oliver answered. "I really like her a lot."

Meanwhile, Brandon used the opportunity to tease Amelia about Oliver. "He's quite the catch," he joked.

"Thanks, Bran," Amelia teased. "I'm glad I've got your approval, even if I wasn't looking for it."

"Really, though, you've never looked this happy," Bran said. "And I'm happy for you. I'm also happy that I got to meet him before Mum, so I can tease her about it. I plan to tell her he looks like a murderer."

"I'm sure she'll be thrilled," Amelia joked. "She's always trusted my judgment when it comes to my friends and associates."

"Is he really just a friend or associate?"

"No, he's far more than that, just don't tell Mum how much you know he means to me," she begged. "She'll never let me go and visit if you do."

"I know and I'll keep quiet," Bran promised.

Bran stayed true to his word and said nothing to their mother about how much he knew Oliver meant to Amelia. When Christmas Eve arrived, Oliver had flowers delivered for Amelia and for her Mum. He also sent a note, thanking Amelia's mum for letting her come to stay. Camilla, Amelia's mother, was most thrilled with the letter and the flowers.

The week seemed to creep by for Amelia, who was looking forward to going to Scotland, and for Oliver who was so excited to see her that his mother, Jane, ordered him to calm down. "Really, Ollie, she'll be here tomorrow," Jane said on the night before Amelia was to arrive.

"I know, Mum, but I really like her," he whined.

"I had assumed as much seeing as she's the first girl you've ever brought home," Jane teased. "Now, go and get your Da for tea." Oliver nodded and gathered his father for dinner. By the time he was ordered to bed, he had irritated his parents for 3 more hours.

The next day was no better. Oliver got up early and made sure to wrap Amelia's present. Then, he practically paced the house until it was time to go to the train station to pick her up. His father, through some connections with the Ministry of Magic, had managed to acquire a car; thus, he drove Oliver to the station to retrieve Amelia.

He spotted her as soon as she got off the train and called her name. She glanced over, smiled the largest smile he had seen and ran at him. Then, she leapt into his arms and let him kiss her. "I've missed you," she said.

"I've missed you too," he answered.

"Missed is understating, Oliver," Edward joked. "Dear, he's annoyed us for a solid week. It's good to see you again. Let's get you to the house so that my missus can spoil you rotten. You're the first girl Ollie's ever brought home."

"Da, give it a rest, please," Oliver begged.

"No chance, son," Edward teased. "You've been unbearable for days." Amelia laughed and followed them to the car, Oliver carrying her bag for her.

Jane was waiting when they arrived. "It's lovely to finally meet you, Amelia," she said, offering tea. "Ollie has told us all about you, of course."

"All good I hope," Amelia teased. "And it's lovely to meet you, Mrs. Wood."

"Oliver, why don't you show Amelia to the guest room," Edward suggested. Oliver agreed, grabbed Amelia's bag and invited her to follow.

"My room is right across the hall," he said. "In case you need anything. The loo is next door to mine." Amelia thanked Oliver and set her things in her room. Then, she returned to the sitting room to visit with Oliver and his parents, and open presents. She loved the hat and scarf and Oliver loved his present as well.

On New Year's Eve, Oliver's family held a party for their family and friends. Amelia was quite popular as everyone wanted to know about the girl who had seemingly stolen Oliver's heart. Some of the local girls were more than a little jealous that Oliver had a girlfriend and more than one made a comment to Amelia. Oliver could sense Amelia's building unease, so he took her hand and led her into the garden. "How are you doing?" he asked.

"Surviving," she replied. "I guess I never realized you had so many admirers."

"Yeah, none of them has ever struck my fancy," Oliver promised. Amelia chuckled at his attempt at humor, but gave him a look that said she didn't buy his reply. "It's true, you know. That none of those other girls have struck my fancy. You're the first one that I really wanted to go out with and the first one I asked."

"Really?" she asked. "Because if you're making it up, that's just cruel."

"It's true," he said, sincerely. "I went out with a few girls before, but they all invited me to Hogsmeade in the first place. You're the first one I asked voluntarily. And most of them were horrible, constantly giggling and being utterly annoying."

"Good to know you don't find me utterly annoying," she teased. She gave him a light shove, but he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her in for a kiss. It was the first time since the end of term that he had a chance to kiss her properly and she nearly lost herself in it. He had backed her up against a shed and continued kissing her until his father interrupted them.

"Oliver, for the love of Merlin, could you not do that where I might find you?" Edward teased.

Amelia blushed deeply, but Oliver didn't miss a beat. "I have done that in places you might not find me," he cheeked. "And I brought her out here so you wouldn't find me, Da. Besides, it's not every day I get to snog a beautiful girl."

"Fair enough, son, but your mother is looking for you and she'll take away your broom if she catches you like that," Edward warned. "Best you lot get inside for the New Year." Oliver nodded dutifully and followed his father into the house, holding Amelia's hand the entire time.

When they re-entered the party, Oliver's mother sent them knowing looks. "She knows," Amelia whispered to Oliver.

"What?" he asked.

"Your Mum knows what we were doing," she explained.

"You're not embarrassed to be snogging me, are you?" he replied.

"No, but I sort of wish she didn't know that you were unabashedly snogging me against your garden shed in the middle of the night."

"She won't do anything to embarrass you, love," he promised. "And for the record, I think it's cute that you are worried about what my mum thinks of you."

"I want her to like me," she said.

"She does," he replied. "She loves that I have a girlfriend. In fact, she loves it so much, that she told the entire family about you before I got home for Christmas. She used to scold me that I was spending too much time on the Quidditch pitch."

"Does she know that's where you asked me out?" Amelia queried.

"Not entirely," he admitted. "She knows that you love sports, too, but she doesn't know that we got to know each other with insanely early morning runs and flying lessons. She doesn't care, though; she's just glad that I've finally shown interest in girls."

"You mean you weren't interested before," she teased.

"I was interested, but I never showed it, and like I said earlier, none of them was ever worth more than the first date."

Their conversation was interrupted by yet another girl inviting Oliver to tea, which he declined by introducing Amelia. This girl, however, was not to be pushed aside. "Oh, she's a girl. I couldn't really tell, Ollie. I mean, she's so flat."

Amelia was about to punch her, but Oliver steadied her hand. "She's more woman than you'll ever be, Lucy. Now, show some self respect and bugger off. I wasn't interested in you before I met her and I'm certainly not interested now." Lucy glared at Oliver, who glared back, before she finally left them alone. However, Amelia dropped Oliver's hand and went up to her room; Oliver followed.

Amelia was about to start crying when Oliver knocked softly on her door. "Can I come in, please?" he asked. Amelia opened the door and sat quietly on the bed, saying nothing. He knelt in front of her on the floor. He put his hand on her face and rubbed her cheek with his thumb. "What's ruining your night?"

"You should go back to your party," Amelia said, not answering the question. "You'll be missed."

"You'll be missed, too," he said.

"No, I won't," she retorted. "None of them even knows who I am."

"I know who you are and I'm not going back without you," he said. "You shouldn't listen to Lucy. She's wrong. You're perfect."

"No, I'm not."

"To me, you are," he promised. "I wouldn't have invited you out if I didn't want to go out with you and I certainly wouldn't have brought you home if I didn't think you were perfect."

"I think we've missed midnight," she said, hearing noise from the party. "You should go back."

"I already told you I'm not going back without you," he insisted. However, Amelia refused to leave the room again. So, Oliver sat on the bed with her, eventually lying down beside her where they fell asleep. His parents noticed the open door and looked in. Edward shook Oliver awake and sent him back to his room.

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	6. Chapter 6

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Chapter 6

When Amelia woke, she was alone and she was somewhat grateful for that. She was at a loss for what to do because as much as she liked Oliver, she was also reminded of two facts at the party. First, she was not as good looking as many of the other girls who made it clear that she was intruding into their territory. Even if Oliver claimed he didn't fancy them, they certainly fancied him, which brought her to her next realization: Oliver was graduating at the end of the year and she was still going to be at Hogwarts. She lay in bed puzzling over what to do about the entire situation and was inclined to stay there longer, but was interrupted by knocking.

"Come in," she said.

Oliver entered her room, still in his pajamas and his hair sticking up at odd angles. Amelia laughed. "Good morning, love," he said. "Mum was wondering if you were up and wanting breakfast."

"I'll be downstairs in a moment," she replied. She got out of bed and dressed before joining the family for breakfast. Oliver kissed her temple as she sat at the table. She gave him a shy smile and reached for the toast.

After breakfast, she and Oliver went into town and took a walk. "Is everything alright?" he asked. "You've been acting strange since last night."

"I'm fine," she promised, even though she was far from fine. Oliver sensed it, but also didn't want to pressure her into anything.

Eventually, they returned to his house and spent the rest of the afternoon playing an awkward game of chess. After the game, Oliver gave up. "Alright, I give up," he said. "Come with me." He grabbed her hand and nearly dragged her out to the garden shed.

"What in hell are you doing, Oliver?" she growled.

"We've just spent the most awkward day we've ever spent together and I want to know why," he demanded. "I at least deserve to know if I've done something wrong."

"You haven't done anything wrong," she promised. "Did it ever occur to you that not everything is about you?"

"Then what the fuck is it?" he argued. "I've been nothing but nice to you and I don't get it."

"We're just too different," she reasoned. "This isn't working."

"So you're unhappy?" he asked, completely thrown. She didn't answer; she couldn't as she was trying desperately not to cry, and failing miserably. She was happy with Oliver, but she also understood the age difference. Eventually, she shook her head.

"Then why do you think it's not working?" he queried; all the anger that had been there was gone from his voice and it was replaced with sadness.

"I don't want to talk about it," she begged. "I think we should not see each other when we go back to school tomorrow. And perhaps I should just get the next train back to Leeds."

"We're flooing to Professor McGonagall's office tomorrow morning," he said. "You can stay if you like. I'll just let you be." He strode off into the house, leaving Amelia in the garden shed. She finally let the tears come and sobbed for a long time before sneaking back into the house and washing her face before dinner.

Oliver stalked straight past his parents and went to his room, where he slammed the door. His father followed and demanded entrance. "What the bloody hell is going on?" Edward asked.

"She broke up with me," was all Oliver could say, as he was also fighting tears. He refused to let anyone see weakness, and therefore refused to cry. So, he stood up and announced, "I'm going for a run. Tell Mum not to hold supper." With that, Oliver tossed his father from his room, changed into his running clothes and exited the house again. He was gone before Amelia snuck back in, and he didn't return until dinner was over.

By the time Oliver got back from his run, Amelia was hiding in her room. He ate alone in the kitchen until his mother interrupted. "What happened since yesterday?" Jane asked.

"Bugger all if I know," Oliver answered. "Yesterday, I thought things were fine. At the party, Lucy made a nasty comment and Amelia left. I followed and thought I had convinced her how much I care about her, but today was really weird. And then, after that horrible game of chess, she broke up with me in the shed."

"Perhaps, Oliver, she understands how much girls are drawn to you," Jane suggested. Oliver started to protest, but she silenced him. "It's true, Ol. Girls notice you because you look just like your father. She's also probably realizing that next year, you're going to be in the real world, probably playing quidditch somewhere, and she'll be back at Hogwarts."

"I just wish she would realize that I don't care about those other girls," he protested. "None of them means anything to me, but she's just about everything."

"I'm sorry, love," Jane replied. She kissed his head and said, "Give her some time."

Amelia had been on the stairway and had heard nearly the entire exchange, but was able to sneak away before either of them noticed her. She also resolved not to let herself fall any more in love with Oliver because she didn't want to risk the broken heart.

The next day, Jane woke Amelia so that they could floo back to school. She landed in Professor McGonagall's office and went straight back to her dormitory; Oliver did the same. She was putting her things away when Kate and Charity came into the dorm.

"We didn't know you were back yet," Kate said. "How was your holiday?"

"It was alright," Amelia answered. They started to ask more questions, but Amelia decided it was time to go for dinner. They arrived in the Great Hall and Oliver was already at the Gryffindor table, eating with his roommates. Kate and Charity exchanged a look when Amelia looked sadly at him and took a seat at the other end of the table.

"What happened?" Charity demanded.

"Nothing," Amelia answered.

"Liar," Kate accused. "Something happened, or you'd be perched on Wood's lap snogging his brains out. Now, spill. What happened?"

"We broke up yesterday," Amelia replied, with a sigh.

"Why?" Charity demanded. Amelia shrugged and her friends dropped the conversation, for the time being.

Nearly a month passed before they tried to get her to open up again. And they were getting nervous about her. She wasn't sleeping well and she barely ate. So, again, at dinner, Kate asked, "Why did you break up with him?"

"Because it wasn't going to work and I'd rather avoid a bigger heart ache later," Amelia reasoned. "It's better this way."

"Better for whom?" Kate pressed. "Because, honestly, neither of you looks particularly happy."

"It's better for both of us," Amelia answered. "He's going to be off doing whatever next year and I'll be here and there will be girls falling over themselves just to get next to him. I won't be able to compete with that."

"Did you ever consider that for Oliver those girls can't compete with you?" Kate suggested.

"Shut up, Kate," Amelia ordered. "You only care because for a few months you were cool by association. I don't want to be your ticket to whatever party you want to go to." Amelia had suddenly lost her appetite and left her friends stunned and alone. She considered going back to her dormitory, but she knew they'd be back there soon. So, she wandered around for a bit and found herself walking by the Quidditch pitch. She did not expect to literally bump into Oliver's frame when she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. She went to leave, but he called her back.

"You shouldn't be so hard on your friends," he suggested. "They only want what's best for you."

"I know," she sighed. "I should go."

"Don't," he begged. "Just talk to me for a minute. Please." She nodded and sat on a bench next to him. "I don't understand what happened. Did I do or say something that hurt you?"

"No," she said, fighting tears, and failing. "I just don't want to fall completely in love with you only to have my heart broken when you graduate and move on. Oliver, it was never about you."

"But it is, if you're telling me that you don't trust me," he reasoned. "Do you honestly think I would just forget about you when I graduate?"

"I don't know, Oliver," she said, truthfully. "I like to think you wouldn't, but I'm not naïve. I know that there will be literally thousands of girls falling over themselves to get to you."

"And none of them will be you," he said, interrupting. They sat in silence for a moment and Oliver moved in to kiss her, but she pulled away.

"I should go," she said. "I have rounds and you've got to be getting back before curfew."

"We're not done with this," he argued.

"Yes, Oliver, we are," she said, forcefully. "It's my decision and it's final." With that, Amelia got up and left. She met up with Cedric Diggory for prefect rounds.

"How've you been?" he asked.

"Alright," she said, "except that I've been terrible."

"What happened?"

"I broke up with Wood," she replied. "It just got to be too difficult."

"What was so difficult? I thought you liked him," he said.

"I did like him," she answered. "I DO like him, but he's going to be gone next year and I'm going to be here. I can't let him break my heart, not like Paul did."

"I know that Paul was horrible to you," Cedric replied. "Honestly, he's horrible to everyone and I don't know why he was put into Hufflepuff, but Oliver's not Paul. He's much more loyal."

"You admire him?" she asked.

"I do," he said. "He's talented, and dedicated, and he's a good sport. He cares more about his teammates than he does himself and he only pushes them to win because he wants them to be as good as they can be. I wish I had his heart."

"Maybe you should date him," she teased.

"Funny," he said, wryly. "Just promise me you'll think about it, alright?" Amelia promised and they finished their rounds quickly.

She returned to Gryffindor tower where a party had been set up but a fight was brewing between Oliver and the Weasley twins. "Take it back, Weasley," Oliver ordered, drawing his wand. "Take it back or I'll hex you and then you'll run extra laps next practice."

"No, Wood," George protested. "What did you do to hurt her?"

"It's none of your business," Oliver warned. "Back. Off. NOW!"

Just as Fred was about to protest further, Amelia walked over and stood between Oliver and the twins. "Cut it out!" she ordered. Oliver gave a smug smirk. "That goes for you, too, Wood. If you lot can't behave, you'll do detentions."

"Fuck off, Clark," Oliver said, before storming off to the dormitory.

"Fred, George, I appreciate what you lot are doing, but please understand this. I broke up with him," she said. "It was not the other way 'round." Then, she left them, stunned, and stormed up to Oliver's dormitory.

"Oliver, I'm coming in," she called.

"Bugger off, Ames," he warned.

"No chance," she said, barging into his dormitory. Oliver was slumped against his wardrobe, bottle of firewhiskey in hand. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

"Sorry for what?" he asked, sniffing.

"I'm sorry I broke your heart," she replied. "I didn't know I had the power to do it."

"You really underestimate yourself," he said, with a laugh. "You have no concept that the idea of being apart for any length of time isn't easy for me either. Hell, I've considered failing just to avoid graduating."

"We've only known each other for a few months," she protested. "I didn't know I could feel this way about anyone." She sat next to him and leaned her head against his shoulder.

"I've been miserable," he said. "For the last month, I've been miserable."

"Me too," she whispered. "I miss my running mate."

"Jerk," he scolded. "And I've missed my flying buddy."

"Ass," she teased. "What are we going to do about that?"

"This," he said, and he turned her face towards him and kissed her. She returned the kiss and moved so that she was straddling his lap. His hands played with the hem of her sweater and she broke the kiss, raising her hands so that he could pull it over her head. He tossed it across the room. She mimicked his actions and removed his sweater.

He stood them up and sat them on his bed. "It's more comfortable here," he said.

"Mm-hmm," she hummed. He laid them on his bed and returned to kissing her. He played with the hem of her shirt and she gasped as his hand brushed against her bare stomach, but she didn't stop him until he reached up and started playing with her breast.

"We really should stop," she said, pushing him back gently. "I'm sorry, but I'm not ready to go that far yet."

"It's fine, but will you stay here for a while?" he asked. "We can just talk or lay in silence, or sleep, but I don't want you to leave."

"Sure," she promised. And they spent the next hour talking about whatever came to mind. By the time, she drifted off to sleep, in Oliver's arms, Amelia was happier than she could remember ever being. "I love you," she whispered dreamily.

"I love you, too," Oliver whispered back.

The morning arrived and Amelia stirred, almost fighting against Oliver's grasp; she had forgotten where she was for a second and only remembered when she heard one of the Weasleys say, "Should we wake them up?"

"You already have, Weasley," Oliver grumbled. "Now bugger off."

"Should we get up?" Amelia asked, snuggling into Oliver's chest.

"Absolutely not," he suggested. "We just got back together. I'm not willing to leave here for a while."

Amelia smiled against Oliver's chest and said, "There you have it. We're not leaving for a while, so bugger off."

"Well it's about bloody time," Fred joked. He grabbed George and the left the pair snuggled happily in bed.

"You know next weekend is the Hogsmeade trip for Valentine's Day," Oliver said.

"I know," she answered.

"Would you like to go with me?"

"Of course," she replied.

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	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"Now tell us again how this happened?" Kate demanded. Amelia had just returned to her dormitory to get showered and dressed before meeting Oliver for lunch.

"Well, last night I had to do rounds with Cedric and he reminded me that Oliver is a very loyal bloke," she explained. "When I got back, he and the twins were fighting and I separated them. Then, I stormed into Oliver's dormitory and we talked and made up."

"So, you're back together now?" Charity asked.

"Yes," Amelia answered. "I fell asleep in his bed last night and the twins woke us up this morning. After we threw them out, we stayed in bed, talking more. He's got a try out for a few professional quidditch teams, but he promised me that we'll find a way to work around next year."

"And he asked you to Hogsmeade next weekend?" Kate continued.

"Yeah," Amelia admitted. "Now, I'm going to shower and get changed. I promised Oliver I'd meet him for lunch." Amelia took her time getting ready but was excited to see Oliver waiting for her in the common room when she finally met him. "I hope I didn't keep you waiting too long."

"No, love, and it was worth the wait," Oliver promised. "Shall we go eat?" She nodded and followed him out of the portrait hole and through the Castle. Amelia earned more than a few stares when people started noticing that she and Oliver were holding hands and then sat together.

"Ignore them, love," Oliver suggested. "They're just jealous."

"Got a mighty big head, don't we, Oliver?" she teased.

"The blokes are jealous of me," he prodded. "Since I'm lucky enough to be sat with the prettiest witch in the castle."

"Well played," she joked.

After eating, Oliver and Amelia went for another walk around the castle. They ended up at the Quidditch pitch and Oliver let them into his office there. He shut the door behind them and before she could ask what they were doing, he crushed his lips to hers. He moved them further into his office, never breaking the kiss until they landed on the sofa. Again, his hand went under her shirt, caressing the soft skin on her stomach. She felt butterflies in her stomach and got very nervous when Oliver's hand started moving up her side to cup her breast again.

She flipped them over, causing them to fall off the sofa. "I'm sorry," she said, "but I thought I told you last night, or rather earlier today, that I'm not ready to go that far yet." She got up and straightened her shirt before leaving Oliver on the floor of his office. He followed quickly after her.

"Ames, wait up!" he hollered.

"What is it, Oliver?" she asked.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't have felt you up."

"Thank you," she replied. "And we're still going back to the commons so you won't try it again."

"Fair enough."

The pair returned to the common room in Gryffindor tower and spent time visiting friends until Amelia announced that she was going to bed. "Good night, Oliver," she said, kissing his cheek.

"Sleep well, princess," he replied, kissing her head.

Amelia climbed the stairs into her dormitory and changed into her pajamas. She climbed into bed and feigned sleep when her roommates returned. Again, Amelia puzzled over what to do with Oliver. Part of her really enjoyed having his hands all over her, but another part, the intellectual part, wanted him to hold off and was annoyed when he tried the same thing that he had been scolded for the night before. She got out of bed early and sat in the window, watching the snow fall. When she finally had enough, she got dressed and went for a run.

She finished her run and went to eat breakfast before changing. She found Oliver at the Gryffindor table. "Early run?" he asked as she plopped down next to him.

"Yeah," she replied. "It was a stupid idea because now I'm knackered."

"You went to bed fairly early," he accused. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm fine," she said with a smile. "I mean it; I'm not just blowing smoke up your arse." Oliver laughed at her candor, but handed her some toast and let her lean against his shoulder while she ate. After breakfast, Oliver insisted on giving Amelia a piggy-back ride back to Gryffindor tower. Then he suggested that she go and have a nap.

The week flew by and when Amelia had rounds again with Cedric on Thursday night, he noticed how happy she seemed, and he commented on it. "You seem happier than you have in weeks," Cedric said. "What has made you smile like that?"

"I listened to what you said last week and I got back together with Wood," Amelia answered.

"I'm glad to hear it," he said. "Does he know we're doing rounds?"

"He does, and when I explained that it was because of our conversation that I got back with him, he agreed that it wasn't a bad thing, us working together."

"Fantastic," Cedric said, with a laugh. "I'm glad he approves of you doing your job."

"Yes, well, Percy also threatened to make sure the twins miss their next game if he gave me a hard time about it," she joked. "Oliver was certain that Percy was committing treason."

"I probably would, too," Cedric replied. "That's just not right, threatening the Quidditch team like that and for no good reason."

"I know," she said, wryly. "Well, Ced, it's been fun, but I'm going to get back to my commons. I'll see you later."

"Cheers, Ames," Cedric said, with a wave.

Oliver was waiting in the common room when Amelia returned; she took the seat next to him on the sofa. "How were rounds?" he asked.

"They were fine, Oliver," Amelia replied. "Cedric is a very nice person and I'm fairly certain he's more into you than he is into me."

"WHAT?!" Oliver nearly screeched.

"Shh!" she ordered. "You'll wake the dead. I just think from the way Cedric talks about you that he has a small crush on you. He knows you're not gay so he won't do or say anything. Also, I'm just assuming he's gay."

"It would make a small amount of sense," Oliver said, thoughtfully. "Alright, I trust you, even if I don't trust him fully. I'm glad he's kind to you and that you get along."

"He's much better than having to do rounds with Warrington or Flint," Amelia reminded him. "They wouldn't care whether we're together or not. They'd just try to grab my arse."

"And then I would have to hex them into oblivion and I would probably be banned from Quidditch," Oliver added. "So, it's better you're with Cedric. At least he can keep his hands to himself."

"I knew you'd see it my way," she teased. "Now, it's rather late and we do have classes tomorrow. I'm going to bed. Good night."

"Sleep tight, love," Oliver said, kissing her cheek.

Saturday dawned lovely. Oliver had arranged with Amelia to have breakfast together before heading into the village, so he was waiting for her in the common room when she came down the stairs, wearing the scarf and hat set Oliver had given her for Christmas. They ate and wandered down to the village. After spending several hours visiting their favorite spots, they returned to the warmth of the castle. "There's going to be a party tonight," Oliver said.

"I know," Amelia answered. "And I was wondering if we could venture to your room after and I could stay there again."

"I wouldn't mind that at all," Oliver promised.

The party started not long after dinner and was still going when Oliver and Amelia snuck into his dormitory. They checked that no one else was there and quickly went to Oliver's bed, closing the curtains. Oliver cast a silencing charm so that no one would interrupt them. Then, he kissed her, deeply. She returned the kiss with fervor. Again, they paused so that they could remove their sweaters. Oliver paused before returning to kissing her. She was expecting that he would kiss her on the mouth, but he laid soft kisses on her neck and throat. His hand played with the hem of her shirt and, again, placed his hand on her bare stomach. He didn't move his hand until Amelia reached down, rather unexpectedly, and moved it up to cup her breast.

"Are you sure?" Oliver asked. She nodded and he left his hand on her breast, squeezing it through the fabric of her bra. She paused again and let Oliver remove her t-shirt. He kissed her again on the neck, but then moved to the chest. When she didn't stop him, he kept kissing at her breasts and stomach.

Next, Amelia tugged Oliver's shirt over his head and kissed him on the neck and chest. Oliver stopped her and said, "Love, I really enjoy what you're doing but if we don't stop I may not be able to."

Amelia considered this for a moment and took a position next to Oliver. "I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Ames," Oliver promised. He retrieved his shirt and handed it to her.

"Thanks," she whispered.

"Have you ever," Oliver started, blushing heavily. Amelia didn't need him to finish his question before she shook her head.

"Have you?" she asked, suddenly very nervous.

"No," he answered. Amelia was shocked; she had expected that he had slept with more than a few girls. "Several girls have offered, some have even tried, but I haven't done it with any of them."

"Didn't you want to?" Amelia said.

"Yes and no," he said. "I wanted to do it, but not with any of those that have offered, unless you're offering." He added the last part smirking and raising his eyebrows. Amelia laughed and hit him with a pillow. "I'll take that as a no," he joked.

"Maybe someday, but not just now," she said, with a chuckle.

"I can wait," he said, seriously. "Are you knackered?"

"Not entirely," she answered. "I think I have a lot of adrenalin at the moment. Are the others back?" Oliver stuck his head out of the curtains on his bed and noticed that the others in his dormitory appeared to have returned, so he answered affirmatively.

"What do you want to do?" he asked.

"Want to sneak out of here?" she suggested. He nodded and she returned his shirt to him, pulling her own back on, and her sweater. Then, they tiptoed out of the dormitory and back to the common room, which was deserted.

"Where to now?" he asked. She looked at her watch; it was past midnight so touring the grounds would be a bad idea.

"Why don't we just hang out on the sofa?" she offered. They curled up in front of the fire and spent several hours chatting. Amelia, finally, got to explain football to Oliver and he agreed to try it. "You're a fair keeper," she said. "You could guard the goal while I take shots at you."

"There's only 1 goal?" he asked.

"Yes, and only 1 ball," she answered. "But, I've got a wicked kick; it's unpredictable, like me." Oliver yawned loudly, so Amelia asked, "Are you knackered?"

"A bit," he confessed. "Should we go to bed now?"

"I'm very comfortable here," she said, snuggling further into his embrace.

"We could sleep here, but there will be noises and questions in a few hours when people start getting up for breakfast," Oliver teased. "So, our options are either go to my dorm, or go to our own rooms and sleep alone."

"Let's sneak back into your dormitory," she suggested. Oliver led Amelia up the stairs as quietly as possible, having her stand on the stairway while he ensured that no one else was awake. Once he was sure, he led Amelia into the dormitory and back to his bed. They snuggled in and went to sleep, being awakened in the morning by Fred Weasley poking Oliver in the back.

"Oy! Mate! You'd best wake up," Fred warned.

"Why?" Oliver groaned.

"McGonagall's on her way," George replied.

"And?" Oliver mumbled.

"And you've got a girl in your bed," Fred answered, bluntly. "She'll be none too pleased if she finds you lot like this." Oliver opened an eye to find himself tangled with Amelia. Their clothes were askew and her hair was messy.

Oliver started to shake her, but she mumbled, "I'm awake and I'll get up in a second. You lot just have to leave before I get out of bed."

George and Fred thought it would be funny to try to pull her out of bed, but Oliver intervened and threatened to punch them both; they took the threat seriously and let Amelia get out of bed on her own.

The following weekend, Gryffindor met Ravenclaw in their second match of the year. It was a good match and, in the end, Gryffindor came out victorious. Oliver was beside himself with glee, especially since he had several good saves during the game. He met with the team before hitting the showers. He was about to return to the Castle for the victory party that was sure to be thrown in the common room when he found Amelia in the locker rooms. "Bloody hell, woman, you scared me," he accused.

"Sorry," she cheeked. "I just wanted to congratulate you on a fantastic game." She put her arms around his neck and kissed him deeply.

"I suppose I'll get over being shocked," he said when they broke apart. "Are we going to the party?"

"In a minute," she promised. "I just wanted a few minutes alone before you get set upon by admirers."

"Well, there are fans to consider," he joked, pompously. "But, I'm willing to sacrifice for a minute alone with you." He kept his hands on her waist, while her arms were around his neck. "So, are we going to snog in here or what?"

"We could, or we could go and have some cocktails at the party," she suggested.

"I'd prefer the snogging for a bit," he replied. He bent down and kissed her again. This time, he lifted her off the ground and she wrapped her legs around his waist. He steered them through the changing rooms to his office and shut the door with his foot. They ended up on the sofa snogging heatedly for a long while before Oliver stopped himself.

"We," he said, kissing her forehead. "Have got." He kissed her nose. "To stop." He finished, kissing her mouth one last time. "If we don't, we may go further than you're comfortable with."

"I've been giving that some thought," she said, blushing.

"No need to blush, princess," he said, interrupting.

"Perhaps I'm comfortable going a bit farther than I thought," she suggested.

"If you're not sure, you're not entirely comfortable with it," Oliver said. "I can wait until you're sure. I promise."

"Thanks," she said, "for caring enough to stop me."

"I love you, Amelia," Oliver said, seriously. "That's not going to change. Now, let's get to the common room before they send out a search party for us." She agreed and they returned to the victory party, receiving knowing looks from Fred and George, and several other people.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"So, have you done it with Oliver yet?" Kate demanded when the girls were alone in their dormitory.

"Not that it's any of your business, but no," Amelia replied.

"They may not have _done _it yet, but she's thinking about it," Charity accused. Amelia blushed heavily. She was used to Kate and Charity teasing her about her sex life, or lack thereof, but she was still uncomfortable having these conversations with them.

"So, what's stopping you?" Kate asked.

"I don't want him to think I'm a total whore," Amelia answered. "Also, I'm completely nervous, since I have no experience. What if it hurts? What if I'm not good at it?"

"Amelia, calm down," Charity ordered. "It's just sex. Oliver loves you; it won't matter to him if it's not earth shattering. And it will hurt, but only for a second."

"How would you know?" Amelia asked, accusingly.

"Well," Charity started, blushing, "I've been dating Roger for several months now and he took me to the Ravenclaw changing rooms, and we sort of had a little…interlude there." Amelia's chin dropped as she looked on, astonished.

"Did you know about this?" she asked Kate, who nodded, sheepishly. "Why didn't I know about this?"

"It happened while you were sleeping with Oliver and we didn't really have a chance to talk since then," Charity replied. "So, when are you and Oliver going to do it?"

"I'm not sure," Amelia answered. "If and when it happens, I'll fill you in, but no details."

"Do you know the charms?" Charity asked.

"What charms?" Amelia replied.

"The birth control charms," Charity said. "It's important that you know them if you're thinking of doing it with him. My Mum taught me just before 5th year. Maybe Oliver knows them."

"My parents are muggles," Amelia answered, exasperated. "Do you think Oliver knows them? What if he doesn't know them? What if he DOES know them? Oh, bollocks! This is too much."

"Merlin, Ames, calm down," Kate ordered. "You haven't done anything yet, so relax. And if Oliver knows them, that's probably a good thing. If you're that nervous, ask him."

She inhaled deeply and said, "What are the charms and how do you do them?" For the next hour, Charity, Kate, and Amelia gossiped and laughed together. Charity taught Amelia the birth control charms, "just in case."

The next morning, Amelia and Oliver ate breakfast together. "So, I've been thinking that I'll take you up on that football offer," Oliver said. "You can show me how good you are."

"That sounds like fun," Amelia replied. "When are we going to play this game?"

"Today's Sunday, so why not after lunch?"

"Hurry up and eat already!" Amelia scolded, suddenly very excited. "I'll want to get the entire pitch set up."

Several hours later, Amelia and Oliver met up in the common room to go play football at the Quidditch pitch. Amelia had set up a goal and brought her football out. "Now, you might want your Keeper's gloves," she warned. "I'm fairly good at this."

"Alright," Oliver said; he ran into the locker room and grabbed his gloves. He returned just in time to watch Amelia kick a shot at the goal and put it in the corner of the net with alarming accuracy and speed. He took his spot in goal as Amelia directed him and watched her closely. She took the first shot and he dove right while she shot left, scoring on him.

"Bloody hell!" he exclaimed. "How did you hit that corner when you were looking the other way?"

"Don't watch my head," she ordered. "Watch my feet; they'll tell you where I'm going."

On the next shot, Oliver did as she directed and watched her feet. He guessed she was going to shoot to his right and she did, but she put the ball just out of the reach of his gloves. He was quite impressed by her abilities. "You really would make a fine chaser," he suggested.

"I'm not that good a flyer yet," she rebutted. Then, she took another shot, but Oliver was able to catch it.

An hour and a half later, they were both sweaty and exhausted. Oliver suggested they put the things in the locker rooms so that they could play again another day. "Can I ask you something?" Amelia queried on the way into the locker rooms.

"You just did, but you can ask something else," Oliver teased.

"Do you, um, know the charms?" she asked, stuttering.

"Which charms?" Oliver replied, somewhat oblivious. When she started stammering worse, he sat her down on the bench in the locker room and said, "Whatever it is, just say it."

"The birth control charms," she blurted. "Do you know them?"

Oliver started coughing on air, and blushing. When he settled himself, he answered, "Yes. My Da taught me when I was in 5th year. Why are you asking this now?"

"Because last night in the dorms the girls were telling me about them," Amelia said. "My parents are muggles; they don't know about these things, and then I just sort of spiraled from there."

"Overboard?" he asked.

"A bit," she answered, taking a calming breath. "I just got freaked out after everything and then Charity told me about her and Roger."

"Davies?" Oliver interrupted; Amelia nodded. "I always thought he was gay."

"Apparently not," Amelia replied. "And apparently he needed some consolation after we beat him at Quidditch, but can we focus on us for a minute?"

"Ames, calm down," Oliver ordered. "We've talked about this and I'm not going to force you to do anything unless you're completely comfortable with it. I won't harm you. I promise." Oliver whispered the last 2 words into Amelia's ear and the feel of his breath on her neck gave her goose flesh. Oliver nibbled at her earlobe and kissed her neck. He moved to kiss her mouth and, once he was certain she had calmed, he pulled back.

"Thanks," she said, "but why did you stop?"

"Because now is not the time," he answered. "Let's get to dinner. I've heard there may be turkey." Amelia laughed at Oliver, but took the hand he offered her and followed him back into the grounds. They met up with their friends at the Gryffindor table and returned to the common room after eating.

The Easter holidays soon arrived and Amelia thought she would either drown in homework, or hex Oliver for being a git. He became overly obsessed with the Quidditch final, especially when he figured out that Gryffindor could still win the cup. At one point, she refused to speak to him for a day because he annoyed her so badly. "Ames," he whined, following her into the common room. "I'm sorry."

She ignored him and continued up the stairway to the girls' dormitory. Not paying attention, Oliver continued to call her back and followed her, until the stairs turned into a slide and he landed on the common room floor with a dull thud. Amelia turned around, looked at him in a crumpled heap, and began to laugh uncontrollably. "I'm sorry," he called to her again.

"Yes, you are," she joked, descending the stairs. "And you're forgiven. Now, could you please talk about something that is not quidditch for at least five minutes?"

"I promise," he said. "Care to sneak out somewhere? It'll be just the two of us, I promise."

She took his hand and they exited the common room again. "Where are you taking me?" she asked.

"We're allowed to visit Hogsmeade," he answered. "I thought we'd take a walk to the village."

As they walked around the village, Amelia and Oliver talked about a lot of things, and none of them had anything to do with Quidditch. Amelia was quite happy when they eventually returned to the castle. When she returned to her dormitory, she grabbed her friends. "I think I'm going to do it," she announced.

"WHAT?!" squealed Charity.

"I'm going to do it with Oliver," she repeated.

"When?" Kate asked.

"After the quidditch final," she said.

"What made you decide this now?" Charity asked. "Not that I'm saying it's a bad thing, I'm just curious."

"I think it was the fact that even though we've come close several times, including last night in his dorm, he hasn't pressured me and today I realized that I really love him," Amelia answered. "It just feels right."

"This is so amazing," Kate cooed. "Now, you lot have to find me a boyfriend."

"What about George?" Amelia offered. "He seems quite taken with you."

"Are you sure?" Kate asked. Amelia promised that she noticed George paying especially close attention to Kate, much to Fred's disappointment. Several hours later, the girls decided that it was time for bed.

By the time classes resumed, Kate and George had actually spent several hours together, alone. They agreed to start dating by the time the quidditch final rolled around. The final was a tough game and Harry, the Gryffindor seeker, was under enormous pressure to catch the snitch at exactly the right moment. Oliver was pestering him about it when Amelia finally decided that the boy had enough. "Oliver," she whispered, so that only he could hear her. "Win or lose, I've got a surprise for you after the game."

"What kind of surprise?" he asked.

"The kind that you're sure to like," she promised. She nibbled on his earlobe and kissed him on the neck. Her stomach felt full of butterflies, but she wasn't going to back out. She promised herself that she and Oliver would have sex that night.

Amelia stopped her ministrations abruptly and left Oliver confused as she joined the throngs of students heading out to the pitch. She joined Kate and Charity in the Gryffindor stands. "So, does he know yet?" Charity asked.

"He knows I've got a surprise for him after the match, but he doesn't know what it is," Amelia answered. "I didn't tell him what I was planning because I didn't want to distract him from the game."

"I'm sure he has an idea," Kate teased. "Look, he's waving." Amelia looked over to where Kate was pointing and saw Oliver wave at her. She blew him a kiss before he took his position in front of the goals.

Oliver couldn't for the life of him figure out what kind of surprise Amelia was planning. He asked the twins in the locker room, but they were out of the loop and he knew that she didn't really hang around with anyone else on the team. Unfortunately, he would have to wait until the game was over. He flew out onto the pitch and saw her in the stands with her friends. He threw her a friendly wave and she blew a kiss back. He thought about things for a moment and almost thought he had it figured out when Madam Hooch blew her whistle and started the game.

The game seemed to take forever, but Harry was careful to wait until the right time to catch the snitch. In the end, Gryffindor won by enough of a margin to win the cup. Oliver got teary eyed when they brought the cup out and handed it to him. The crowd of Gryffindors on the field grew as the stands emptied. Amelia got caught in the tide and couldn't find Oliver for nearly a minute. When she did find him, she jumped into his arms and kissed him fully. "I'm so proud of you!" she shouted above the din.

"Can you believe we won?" he replied.

"Of course I can. You were brilliant," she said. "All of you."

"I know," he said, setting her down. "So, when do I get this surprise?"

"Soon, I promise." She looked around and noticed that many of the group had left the field, heading for the common room and a massive victory party. Fred and George gave her a smirk as they snuck off, probably to supply food and beverages.

"Shall we go back, then?" Amelia asked when they were left alone on the field.

"No," he said. "I want to kiss you right here." He bent down and kissed her again. Again, he lifted her off her feet and held her tightly. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Ol," she replied. "Now, put me down and hit the showers or there will be no surprise." Oliver nearly pouted, but did as he was told. Amelia went into his office and considered for a moment how she would get Oliver alone and where she would want to sleep with him, until she realized that they were alone and there was a lovely sofa in the office. She enlarged it a bit with a wave of her wand. She also conjured some candles and lit them, giving the room a soft glow. "Are you ready?" Oliver asked from the doorway.

"I thought maybe we'd stay here for a bit," she suggested, slowly unbuttoning her shirt and taking it off.

"What are you doing?" Oliver asked.

"I would think that's fairly obvious," she teased. "Come over here, idiot. You can't kiss me from across the damn room."

Oliver gave her a wry smile, but did as she asked and crossed the room, kissing her. She took his hand and led him to the sofa and the make-shift bed she created. "Are you sure about this?"

"Yes, Oliver," she promised. "I'm sure." She pulled his t-shirt over his head and let him lay her down on the sofa. He caressed her with his hands, and with his mouth, laying soft kisses on her neck and chest. She played with his hair and moved her hands to his chest, where she traced small circles.

She could feel him pressing against her and for a moment considered whether she would be able to handle it, but refused to back out. He snaked his hands behind her back and unclasped her bra. He paused to ask permission to proceed and when she gave him a small nod, he slid her bra off her shoulders and tossed it to the floor.

Amelia's hands trembled as she unbuttoned Oliver's trousers. He noticed and grabbed them, steadying her. He kissed her fingers and finished unzipping his own pants. They both quickly shed the rest of their clothing, Oliver calming Amelia with gentle kisses on her neck and mouth. Oliver grabbed his wand and cast a contraceptive charm. Then, he asked, "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Amelia answered. Oliver kissed her soundly and entered her. His mouth muffled her gasp and when he paused, he noticed a tear on her cheek.

"Are you alright?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

"I'm fine," she promised. "Just, don't stop." He paused briefly, but kept going.

When they finished, they lay on the sofa for several long minutes, Oliver holding Amelia. "How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Good," she answered. "Tired and sweaty, but good."

"Fancy a shower?" he offered. She nodded and they went back into his shower to clean up before returning to Gryffindor tower.

When Oliver and Amelia returned to Gryffindor tower, the victory party was in full swing. Several people noticed them walking in and shouted. "Oliver! Speech!" Oliver blushed, but took a place in the center of the room. "We had a great team this year," he said. "We wouldn't have won the cup without everyone bringing something. Fred, George, your bats were fantastic today! Ang, Alicia, and Katie, you flew like I've never seen you before! Harry! You had great timing to catch the snitch!" Oliver got teary eyed for a moment and inhaled deeply. He hadn't noticed Amelia standing by his side until she squeezed his hand.

"And let's not forget our dear Captain," Fred shouted. "Without you, Ollie, we never would have known what 5:00 AM looked like. And may we never see it again!" The entire common room erupted into laughter and Oliver and Amelia found a corner to share.

Throughout the night, several people came over to offer Oliver congratulations on a game well played. Kate and Charity stopped by, exchanged looks and begged Amelia to come with them. "I'm going to be interrogated," Amelia whispered to Oliver as they half-dragged her to their dormitory.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"What took you so long in getting back?" Charity demanded when they were alone in their dormitory.

"We had our own celebration in the locker rooms," Amelia answered. "And that's all the details you'll get, except that he was sweet and it was lovely." Charity and Kate tried to get more details out of Amelia, but she stuck her tongue out at them and left the room.

Oliver was still in the corner where Amelia had left him when she returned. "Did they demand an explanation?" he asked, when she took back her seat on his lap.

"They did," Amelia replied. "I answered them, but refused the details. I hope you don't mind."

"Not at all, love," Oliver answered, nuzzling against her neck. Amelia started giggling because Oliver's hair on her neck tickled her. Encouraged by the giggling, Oliver started tickling her sides until she fell off his lap into a heap on the floor. Fred and George could barely contain their laughter while Amelia sent them glares.

At midnight, Professor McGonagall came in and sent everyone to bed, ending the victory party. "Are you going to your dormitory or mine?" Oliver asked Amelia.

"I want to go with you, but I should go to my own dormitory," she answered. "We don't want to get into trouble."

"Fair enough," he said. "Sleep well and I'll see you in the morning."

Amelia felt like her head had barely hit the pillow when she was awakened by screaming. She trotted down to the common room to find out what the commotion was. She arrived just as Fred was saying, "We're continuing on then? Fantastic."

Professor McGonagall came to yell at the crowd in the common room and Percy was trying to shove everyone back to bed, but Ron Weasley reported that Sirius Black had been in his dormitory. Amelia immediately set out to work, getting students back into bed because the charms on the girls' staircases would keep him out. While she was herding the younger students back to bed, Oliver strode across the room. "I want you with me," he whispered into her ear.

"I'm safer in the girls' dormitories," she replied.

"I can't protect you there," he argued. "I can protect you if you're with me."

"The staircase will protect me in my own dormitory," she reasoned. She turned to face him and grasped his face. "I know you're scared, but I'll be fine and I can protect myself." Oliver was going to insist further, but Professor McGonagall interrupted them.

"Miss Clark, I'm going to need you to sit watch with Mr. Jacobs for a bit," she ordered. "Mr. Weasley and Miss Sutherland will relieve you in 2 hours."

"Of course, Professor," Amelia answered.

"Wood, it's time you got back to bed," the matron ordered. Oliver went to his dormitory but threw a murderous glare at Professor McGonagall before ascending the stairs to his room.

When Percy and his companion relieved Amelia, she made to go to her dormitory. "He's waiting for you," Percy said, startling her.

"Perce, I won't go if you forbid it," she replied.

"Just go or he'll be unbearable for the rest of the year," Percy ordered. Amelia nodded and went up to the Oliver's dormitory. He was waiting for her when she tiptoed in.

"Took you long enough," he accused.

"Percy just sent me up, Oliver," Amelia said, with a sigh. "Now, I'm tired and we can either go to sleep or I can go back to my dormitory to go to sleep."

"Come on," he ordered. She climbed into bed beside him and snuggled against his chest. "I'm glad you're here."

"I'm glad I'm here, too," she whispered. "Good night."

Amelia woke to laughing. Some of Oliver's roommates had found them snuggled together and made sure to tease them by drawing on Oliver's face. Unfortunately for them, Amelia was a light enough sleeper that their chuckling woke her up. "What the bloody hell do you lads think you're doing?" she demanded.

"Nothing," Colin answered, too quickly. Percy cleared his throat from behind them and shooed them away.

"You should probably get up," Percy suggested. "Professor McGonagall is on her way back to check in on us."

"Cheers, Perce," Amelia replied. She wiggled out of Oliver's grasp and straightened her clothes before leaving the room. She paused at the door and said, "You'll tell him why I left when he wakes?"

"Of course," Percy answered.

Amelia made it back to her dormitory before Professor McGonagall arrived. Oliver was perplexed when he woke alone, but Percy explained to him why Amelia had left. "Don't break her heart, Oliver," Percy warned. "She's a good kid."

"And I love her, Perce," Olive replied. "I know she's a good kid and I have no intention of hurting her. Remember, in January, she broke my heart, not the other way 'round."

"Fair enough, Oliver," Percy answered. "I'm off to check in with Professor McGonagall."

It seemed that the rest of the term flew by. Amelia and Oliver snuck out to the quidditch pitch more than once. Just before the final feast, Oliver received an owl from his parents inviting Amelia to the Quidditch World Cup over the summer. When Amelia asked her parents for permission, they were hesitant to agree. They were eating breakfast on the last day when an owl arrived from Amelia's parents. She tore open the letter and read it; then, she squealed with delight.

"What is it?" Oliver asked.

"Read it," she ordered and she thrust the letter into his hands. Oliver read the letter and immediately squished Amelia into a large hug. "I take it you're happy then," she teased.

"Of course," Oliver replied. "I wouldn't have invited you if I didn't want you to come with us. I'll just make sure to let my parents know that you're coming along."

"You read the conditions?"

Oliver nodded. "I'll arrange a date with my parents so that we can meet your parents before the World Cup. It really won't be a problem, love."

That afternoon, Oliver and Amelia stole away to the Quidditch pitch one last time. "I can't believe the year is over," Amelia mused.

"I can't believe it took me until my last year to find you," Oliver replied. "I almost don't want to leave tomorrow."

"We'll make a plan," she promised. "Over the summer, once I've taken my apparition test, we'll make a plan. You promised that back in February."

"I haven't forgotten," he whispered.

They sat on the quidditch pitch for as long as they dared before finally returning to the Castle. That night, they stayed in the common room, not willing to leave each other until the last moment. On the train, they stayed together, joined by several members of the quidditch team and Charity and Kate. At least half of the trip was spent reliving the Quidditch final; the other half was spent trying to get Oliver to spill on whether he had been recruited by any scouts for the professional Quidditch league. Oliver deftly ignored the questions or avoided answering altogether.

When the train finally stopped in the station, Oliver held Amelia back for a moment before they left. "I'll call you," he promised.

"Have you ever used a telephone?" she replied.

"No," he answered, sheepishly.

"Why don't you just owl or apparate over?" she suggested.

"Works for me," he said, kissing her softly.

Oliver's father was waiting for him on the platform. "It's lovely to see you again, dear," Edward said to Amelia.

"Likewise, sir," Amelia replied. "But I really can't stay. I'm fairly certain my family is waiting for me just outside the barrier."

"I'll walk you to them," Oliver offered; Amelia shrugged and let Oliver lead her through the station.

She spotted her parents standing not far from the barrier, waiting for her. "Would you like to meet them?" she offered. Oliver nodded and followed her to them. "Mum, Dad, this is Oliver Wood," she said. "Oliver, these are my parents, Camilla and Joseph Clark. And this is Oliver's father, Edward Wood."

"It's nice to meet you, Oliver," Joseph said, shaking Oliver's hand. He also shook Edward's hand. Camilla was polite, but more reserved. She seemed to sense that Amelia hadn't been entirely truthful with them about how close she and Oliver were.

"We should be going," Camilla said. With that, any further conversation would have to wait and the groups separated.

"I'll write," Oliver called as Amelia walked away. She smiled and waved at him, but continued to follow her parents.

"We're staying in London for the night," Camilla commented as they walked through the station. "We'll catch the morning train to Leeds tomorrow."

"Any reason why, Mum," Amelia asked.

"I'm going to take you shopping today and get you whatever you'll need for this World Cup thing that you're going to," she answered. "And Mike will meet us later after his trial with West Ham United." Amelia nodded and helped her Dad get her trunk into a taxi.

Oliver and his father apparated back to Scotland after meeting the train. "When are we going to have dinner with her parents?" Edward asked.

"Next week," Oliver replied. "We'll go to Leeds and I believe we're eating at her parents' house."

"You're sure about this, Oliver," Edward queried. "You realize that she's still got another year at Hogwarts?"

"Yes, Da," Oliver replied. "I've considered it quite a lot."

"You're going to have to work on seeing her," Edward warned.

"I know and I have a plan," Oliver promised.

"Are you sleeping with her?"

"Da, there is no way I'm going to answer that," Oliver replied. Edward gave Oliver a knowing look, but didn't force him to answer.

Amelia had only been home a day when Oliver's first owl arrived. The note suggested that he planned to sneak out of his parents' house and into hers that night, but she didn't necessarily believe he would do it. She was also slightly terrified that he would and they would be caught by one of her brothers, or worse, by her parents.

"What does your note say?" Camilla asked.

Amelia shook her head and brought herself out of her daydream. "It just says that he misses me, Mum," she promised. "And he can't wait to meet you and Dad again next week." Amelia was able to keep her mother from reading Oliver's note. If she had found out that Oliver was planning to sneak in, she would have waited in Amelia's bedroom.

Amelia ate dinner with her parents and watched a football match for a little while, but she told them she was tired and went to bed early. She opened her window and puzzled for a minute. She knew Oliver was sneaking in, but she didn't want to appear too eager. She considered whether to wear her normal shorts and tank pajamas or to pull out matching underwear. She was still considering it when she heard a knocking by her window.

"What are you doing?" she asked, hushing her voice as much as possible.

"I had to see you," Oliver answered. "Can I come in?"

"Yeah," she stepped back from the window and let Oliver into her room. "You have to be quiet," she warned. "My brothers and parents are in the house."

Oliver nodded, but kissed her soundly. "My parents don't know I'm gone," he said. "They think I've gone to bed early."

"My parents think the same," she replied. "Can you cast a silencing charm and a locking charm on the door?"

"What about the trace?" he asked. She gave him a quizzical look, so he added, "You still have the trace. If I perform magic here, you could get into trouble, or the aurors will show up wondering who is casting charms in your room."

"What do you suggest, then?" she demanded.

"Come with me," he pled. "We'll climb down the lattice and take a walk or find a secluded spot."

"Ol, what if we get caught?" she reasoned. "If I get caught, I won't be allowed to leave the house for the rest of summer."

"We'll make sure you don't get caught," he begged. Amelia's resolve quickly left and she found herself following Oliver out her window. He reached the bottom and told her to drop. He caught her and set her on the ground. "Now, where do you go for fun around here?"

"Follow me," Amelia ordered. She grabbed Oliver's hand and led him to the nearest playground. She sat on a swing and let Oliver push her for a bit.

"So, what were you doing when I knocked?" he asked, taking the swing next to her.

"I was debating what to wear," she answered, blushing. "I wasn't sure whether to put my pajamas on and I'm sort of glad I didn't have the chance to decide."

Oliver laughed but said, "Well love, you look as beautiful as always."

"Cheers," she joked. Oliver leaned in to kiss her and she mimicked his movements, but they heard a rustling in the bushes.

"What do we have here?" Amelia's brother, Mike, asked.

"Looks like Amelia's got herself a lover," her brother, James, replied.

"Bugger off, both of you," Amelia ordered.

"Does Mum know you're out here?" Mike prodded. Amelia looked down and shook her head. "I didn't think so. You best get back before she notices."

"Would someone please tell me what is going on?" Oliver asked.

"Ol, these are 2 of my brothers. This is Mike and this is James," Amelia replied. "They're actually being decent and warning us that my mother is looking for me. I need to get back before she knows I'm gone."

"I'll owl you later," Oliver promised. He kissed her forehead and walked away.

"I'll see you soon," Amelia called after him. "And you lot, is Mum really looking for me or are you just being arseholes?"

"Mum is really looking for you," Mike replied. "She knocked on your door, but you didn't answer. Jamie, here, was smart enough to tell her you were probably asleep."

"Cheers, lads," Amelia said. "Help me sneak back in." Mike and James helped Amelia sneak back into the house and her mother was none the wiser. She was, however, startled to find Oliver waiting for her.

"I had to see you once more before I go home," he whispered.

"You'll see me in 3 days," she reasoned.

"Doesn't matter," he answered. He closed the gap between them and kissed her soundly. "I love you," he whispered when they broke apart.

"I'll write you tomorrow," she promised. Then, she grabbed him and kissed him once more before he could get out the window. He tangled his hand in her hair and held her as close to him as possible. She tugged at his shirt and began to lift it over his head, but he stopped her.

"What about your parents?" he said, leaning his forehead against hers. "It's not that I don't want to, but I don't want you to get into trouble."

"I know you want to," she teased. "I can feel it, but you're probably right. Come by tomorrow during the day and meet my parents officially. Then, we can go somewhere."

"I'll be here tomorrow morning," he promised. With that, he climbed out the window and apparated from her garden.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Amelia slept fitfully after Oliver left, having too much adrenaline to really sleep; Oliver had a similar problem. They each got up early and went for separate runs. When Amelia returned, her mother was waiting. "What are your plans for today?" she asked.

"Oliver may come by to meet you and Dad before the dinner on Friday with his parents," Amelia answered.

"When did you plan that?" Camilla demanded.

"I wrote him back last night and suggested that he stop by to meet you," Amelia replied, trying to sound innocent. "I really like him, Mum."

"Just like?"

"Okay, so I really love him," Amelia said. "He's kind and brave and smarter than anyone knows. And he's an athlete."

Camilla perked up at the idea that Oliver was an athlete, but was still not entirely thrilled in Amelia's plans for the day. "I had rather hoped that we could spend the day together," she scolded.

"I'm sorry, Mum," Amelia replied.

"I'll want to join you and Oliver for lunch," Camilla insisted. Amelia knew that there would be no getting out of it, so she simply nodded and left to shower.

Amelia took great care to choose something cute to wear, but she didn't want to seem too eager, especially with her mother tagging along for lunch. So, she dove into her closet and found a light blue sundress that she pulled out and donned.

Oliver arrived while Amelia was dressing. Her mother knocked on her door and said, "You've got a visitor. And he's very anxious to see you."

"Thanks, Mum," Amelia replied. She went down the stairs to see Oliver being interrogated by her father and her brothers; he looked terribly frightened and she tried, unsuccessfully, to stifle a laugh.

"Dad, leave him alone," she scolded from the stairs. "And you, get over here." Oliver smiled at her and moved to the stairway. She jumped the last step and flew into his arms. He set her down gently, not wanting to inflame her father or brothers by kissing her in their presence.

"Took you long enough, but it was worth the wait, love," Oliver teased.

"What do you mean? Mum just told me you were here," she replied.

"I've been here for 10 minutes," he said.

"I'm sorry. Have they been terrible?" she asked, nodding her head towards her brothers and father.

"No," he promised. "They love you; that's all. And they are protective of you."

Camilla cleared her throat from behind Amelia. "Mum, this is Oliver," Amelia said. "Oliver, this is my Mum."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Clark," Oliver said, giving his best smile. Camilla was acting as though she was angry, but truthfully, she was thrilled that Amelia finally had a boyfriend.

"It's nice to meet you, too, Oliver," Camilla replied, coolly. "Where will we be going?"

Oliver looked puzzled, so Amelia explained, "Mum is going to take us for lunch." She decided it would be better to make her mother pay than to try to help Oliver figure out muggle money. Camilla was annoyed, but didn't contradict Amelia, especially in front of Oliver.

"That's very sweet, Mrs. Clark, but please, allow me to treat you and Amelia to lunch," Oliver suggested. Immediately, Camilla started planning the wedding in her head. She was truly touched at Oliver's offer to pay. So, Amelia suggested that they go into town to her favorite Indian restaurant to eat.

Oliver was confused by the menu, having never eaten Indian food before, so Amelia helped him order. "So, Oliver, what are your plans now that you've graduated?" Camilla asked.

"I've been recruited for a professional quidditch team, Mrs. Clark," Oliver replied. "I'm the new reserve keeper for Puddlemere United."

"Are they a good team?"

"They're ranked 2nd in the league," Oliver answered.

"That's brilliant!" Amelia exclaimed. "I'm so proud of you. Have you told anyone else yet?"

"Not yet," Oliver said. "The contract just arrived this morning before I came here."

"How did you get here? I didn't notice a car," Camilla interjected.

"I apparated," Oliver replied. "I've been licensed since I turned 17 last year."

Camilla was going to ask for a further explanation, but the waiter arrived with their food. The conversation was tabled for a bit while they ate. Once they had eaten, Oliver paid the bill and they took a walk through the city. During the walk, Oliver explained apparating to Camilla, and she was highly nervous. "Mum, please don't worry," Amelia begged. "I've been taking lessons all year and I'm actually good at it."

"Is she good at it, Oliver?" Camilla asked.

"I wasn't part of those lessons, Mrs. Clark, but Amelia is a gifted witch," he answered, diplomatically. "And I've heard from several people that she was the first in her class able to complete the task successfully."

"Thanks," Amelia said, meekly. They had arrived back at Amelia's house and she turned to her mother, "Mum, could I please go and spend some time with Oliver alone?"

"Be back by tea tonight," Camilla ordered. Amelia smiled broadly and promised to return on time.

"Now where are we going to go?" Oliver asked.

"I have the perfect spot in mind," Amelia promised. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes," he replied.

"Good," she said. "Follow me."

Amelia led Oliver around the block and through some neighboring property until they came upon a tree house. "Whose tree is that?" Oliver asked.

"It's ours," Amelia replied. "Mum and Dad never come to this part of the property and this was my tree house when I was a child."

"And why are we here?" He was teasing her and she knew it.

"So I can do this," she said. Then, she leapt into his arms and kissed him fully. When they broke apart, she smirked at him and said, "Fancy coming into my tree house?"

Oliver smirked and climbed up behind her. Once inside the tree house, Amelia made sure to close the curtains and the door. Oliver was astounded; Amelia had set up blankets and a few candles in the tree house. She kissed him softly, but he broke apart. "How did you set this up?" he asked.

"The house has been here for years," she explained. "I snuck out early this morning with the blankets and pillows. Is something wrong with it?"

"No, it's fantastic," he promised. He kissed her with need and longing. He ran his fingers through her hair. He paused for a moment to ask, "What time do you have to be home?"

"I have a few hours," she promised. "I need to be home by 5:00."

Oliver smirked and returned to kissing Amelia. She tugged on his shirt and pulled it over his head. His left hand was traveling up her thigh while his right hand was behind her head. Oliver took his time, teasing Amelia for what seemed to her like hours but was only minutes. "Are we going to do it or not?" she finally snapped.

"Patience, love," he teased. "I'm rather enjoying making you squirm at the moment."

"Oliver, I swear to Merlin, if you don't quit teasing, you're not getting into my pants."

"Thanks for the warning, love, but I don't think I should get into your pants today," he said. "We could still cause trouble if I cast the charms since you're still underage and we're not at school."

"Fine," she huffed. She sat up and stared at the floor.

"You know it's not because I don't want to, right?" he asked. She didn't answer; she simply continued to stare. "Ames, come on. I don't want us to get into trouble, particularly from your parents and I sort of made a promise to my dad."

"What promise did you make?" she asked.

"That I wouldn't shag you today," he answered. "I didn't make any promises about the rest of the summer, but for today, no shagging."

"Why would you have to make that promise to your Dad?"

"Because he knows," Oliver confessed. "I didn't tell him, but he figured it out."

Amelia suddenly became very nervous. "Is he going to say anything to anyone?" She was nervous that he would tell her parents.

"Of course not," Oliver replied. "He figured it out when I got home and asked me about it. I didn't really answer, but he knew. He hasn't told my Mum, so there is no reason to think he would tell anyone else or say anything to you to embarrass you."

"What about to my parents?" she asked, nervously.

"He won't say anything to them, since he knows how much I love you and that your parents would forbid us from seeing each other," he promised. He looked at her and noticed her smirk. "What?"

"You really love me that much?" she asked.

"I've said it and I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it," he answered.

"So," she teased, straddling his lap. "How much do you love me?"

"More than anything," he kissed at her ear.

"More than quidditch?"

"More than anything," he repeated.

Oliver shifted nervously, which prompted Amelia to ask, "What is it?"

"I'm going to have to move to Puddlemere," he replied, sheepishly.

"When were you planning to tell me?" she asked, accusingly.

"I was planning to tell you today," he replied.

"We've been together for hours and now is when you're telling me?" she snarled.

"We were with your mother for a large portion of that time," Oliver defended. He had been shouting, but he lowered his voice and continued. "I couldn't tell you; I didn't want it to be real."

"When?" she asked, tears streaming down her face.

"August 1," he answered. "I'll still be at the World Cup."

"I think you should take me home," she said, still crying. Oliver nodded and pulled his shirt back on before helping her out of the tree house and walking her home.

At the door, he went to kiss her, but she turned away. "We knew this was coming," he reasoned.

"That doesn't make it any easier," she said, her voice cracking with emotion. She inhaled deeply. "I'll see you Friday."

"I'll write," he promised. She nodded and he kissed her chastely once more before leaving to apparate home.

Amelia stalked up to her room, ignoring the calls from her parents. Once there, she changed out of her dress and into her favorite running shorts and t-shirt. "Where are you going?" Camilla asked.

"That should be obvious," Amelia retorted. "I'm going for a run."

"Amelia Rose Clark, tell me what has you so upset this instant," Camilla ordered.

"Oliver's moving to Puddlemere," she answered. "And I'd rather not talk about it. I have to train if I'm going to make the national team next year." With that, Amelia pushed past her mother and left the house for a run.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

When Amelia returned from her run, there was a note from Oliver waiting. She took it from her mother and went to her room to read what Oliver had written. She plopped onto her bed and was about to start reading when her mother burst in. "What has gotten into you?" Camilla demanded.

"Bugger all, Mum," Amelia shouted. "I could have been changing. Knock before entering."

"Don't take that tone with me, Amelia," Camilla ordered. "Now, tell me what is going on that has you all upset."

"It's nothing that I didn't know was coming, Mum," Amelia replied. "It's just happening sooner than anticipated."

"What's happening?"

"Oliver is moving to Puddlemere to play professional quidditch. I knew this was coming and I knew he wasn't coming back to school, but it's happening on August 1, which is sooner than either of us planned," Amelia explained. "Now, I'm going to read my letter and shower before dinner." Camilla didn't want to leave, but Amelia shoved her out of her room and locked the door.

Then, she flopped back down onto her bed and read Oliver's letter. It said,

_Ames,_

_ I'm sorry this is happening so fast. I didn't expect it either. We both knew that this was coming. I'm ready to talk whenever you are. Just send a note back and I'll apparate over. Perhaps later tonight we could go back to your tree house?_

_ I know that this is hard for you; it's hard for me too and I don't want to leave anymore than you want me to leave. Just tell me what you need me to do, whether it's give you space or apparate over now and spend the night in your bedroom. (Please pick the apparate over now option. I'd rather not bugger off, but I will if you tell me to.)_

_ Please, Amelia, tell me what to do here. This is completely foreign territory for me. I wish I knew what you were thinking. Just promise me that you'll talk to me and soon._

_ I'm waiting your reply._

_ All my love,  
Oliver_

By the time she finished reading the letter, which was difficult given Oliver's indecipherable writing and the tears Amelia was fighting, she had stopped fighting the tears and let them come. She laughed at his begging to let him come over and was inclined to send a note back right away telling him to do just that, but she decided to wait until she'd showered and changed for tea before doing anything.

While in the shower, Amelia was contemplating what had transpired and couldn't believe that everything was happening so quickly. She wasn't happy that Oliver was moving, but it was still only early July, which gave them a month of being near to each other. And, Oliver could apparate, which meant he could see her frequently.

Then there was the voice in her head that knew that Oliver would be incredibly busy when he went to Puddlemere, and in the weeks leading up to the move. He would have to find housing and get everything packed and ready. She had hoped that he would attend her brother's wedding the following weekend, but she worried that he wouldn't be able to and decided not to ask.

When she got dressed, she sent a quick reply to Oliver, telling him that she got his note, had read it and was going to owl the next day. Then, she ate dinner with her parents and brothers.

When Oliver arrived home earlier than expected, his father demanded an explanation. "I told her about moving," Oliver answered. He was going to drop it, but his father gave him a look, so he added, "She didn't take it well."

"Send her an owl and offer to give her space and time to think about things, Oliver," Edward suggested. "She's young and scared."

"I'm scared, too, Da, but she doesn't seem to get it," Oliver reasoned. "I don't want to move this quickly anymore than she wants me to, but I've been told I have to if I'm going to play."

"And if she forces you to choose, Oliver, what will you do?" Edward left Oliver to consider his words. Oliver had never thought that Amelia would force him to choose between her and quidditch; she had even encouraged his play and helped with tactics. Oliver went to his room and wrote Amelia a letter. Then, he waited for her reply.

It seemed like hours before Amelia's owl started pecking at Oliver's window. He let the bird in and took the letter. She didn't give him a chance to reply before she swept through the open window and flew off into the evening. He was slightly disappointed when he read the note; he had been hoping for her to invite him back over.

He grudgingly went to bed early, convinced that Amelia would do as promised and wait until the morning to contact him. He was, therefore, highly surprised when he got back to his room and found her owl waiting for him with a letter. He took the letter from the bird and opened the seal and began to read. She wrote,

_Oliver,_

_ I'm sorry about earlier. I guess it didn't occur to me that you would be completely freaked out by everything too. I needed time to think; honestly, I still need time to think. I don't know what happens next as this is entirely new territory for me too. You're the first real boyfriend I've ever actually had and it just hurts that we won't be together next year. I know that it's not your fault anymore than it is mine. _

_ I'm not ready to tell you to bugger off yet, but I'm not inviting you over tonight either. I think it's best if we wait until the planned dinner on Friday before we see each other again. That is not to say that you shouldn't write. I would like to hear from you and (try) to read your thoughts on everything._

_ What is it like on your end, going to Puddlemere? Are you scared? Excited? You're impossible to read and I don't know whether that's good or bad because I can never tell what you're thinking. You're not the kind of bloke who wears his heart on his sleeve and that frightens me._

_ Write me back, soon. _

_ Love,  
Amelia_

Oliver read the letter 6 more times before he went to bed. He was trying to decipher his own feelings about moving to Puddlemere when he drifted off to sleep. He woke to a knock on his door.

"Ollie," Jane called. "You have a visitor, and it's late. Get out of bed. You're not sleeping your summer away again."

"I'm up, Mum," Oliver answered. He looked at the clock and noticed it was nearly 10:00 AM, which was really late for him. He pulled on some trousers and a shirt and went downstairs. He was not expecting to see Amelia sitting in his living room, laughing with his dad.

"I wasn't expecting to see you until Friday," he said, startling both his father and Amelia.

"I would have called, but you don't have a phone," she explained. Edward made his excuses and left them alone in the sitting room. "I'm sorry about yesterday and I rethought what I wrote in my letter."

"About what?" Oliver was completely confused.

"About simply writing back and forth for the next 3 days," she answered. "I know that I can't really read your emotions on your face, but that doesn't mean I can't hear it in your voice, so I chanced that you would speak to me and came to visit."

"Do your parents know where you are?"

"Mum was right pissed about it, but I didn't ask permission. I used my own money for the train ticket, but I have to be on the train back to Leeds tonight," she replied. "Can we go somewhere, where it's just the 2 of us?"

"Yeah," he promised. "I could take you for tea." She nodded and let Oliver grab whatever he needed. He told his parents he was taking Amelia for breakfast and that they should expect he'd be gone all day. His father cast him a knowing glance, but said nothing further.

Oliver led the pair through the streets of East Kilbride until they reached his favorite bakery. "The scones here are great," he promised. He ordered for both of them while Amelia found a booth in the back. Oliver set her tea and a scone in front of her. "How did you know I was hungry?" she teased.

"Love, I was raised to always bring a treat for a lady if I'm out with her," he joked. Then, the conversation turned more serious. "All joking aside, Ames, we came here to talk, so let's talk. What scares you most?"

"Why do you get to ask the first question?" she asked, but Oliver gave her a pointed look and refused to speak until she answered the question. "I'm scared that you'll figure out that I'm not worth it and I'll get a letter detailing the break-up in your illegible handwriting. Or worse, I'll just get a note that says it was fun, but it's over. I'm scared that you'll move to Puddlemere and forget that I even exist. I'm scared that my parents will figure out that somewhere I fell in love with you and they won't let me see you again, or that your parents will decide I'm not worth your time and forbid you from seeing me."

"Do you really think I would do that to you?" Oliver asked.

"I didn't say that my fears were rational, Ol, but you asked what I fear the most," she said. "What are your fears?"

"That someone will come along who will sweep you off your feet and I won't be there to interfere," he said. She was going to interject, but he waved her off. "I'm scared that I'll find out I'm terrible at quidditch and be left with nothing else to do. I'm scared that I'll get hurt and won't be able to play. I'm scared that you'll send me an owl saying that you're leaving for America or Argentina, or anywhere else and I won't be able to stop you from going."

"You really worry about all that?"

"Yes," he answered. "And that's only the tip of the iceberg, Ames. I try to play confident, but I'm a mess, really."

Amelia giggled at Oliver and he scolded her, "All that and you laugh at me?"

"I'm not laughing at you, Oliver," she replied. "I promise. But what are we going to do? We're both, apparently, terribly insecure."

"We'll come up with a plan," Oliver promised. "I've been promising you this for months. I'll apparate away for your birthday and then we'll be at the World Cup together with my parents, but separate tents."

"We're staying in our own tent?" Amelia asked.

"I've spoken to my parents and they've agreed that we can stay in our own tent," he answered, "but that's not why we're here. So, let's work out a plan and put both of us at ease."

They spent several hours at the bakery, and drank more tea than either had bargained for, but they finally had a plan. "So, I'll be in Hogsmeade every other weekend until the season ends and then every weekend after that," Oliver promised.

"And we'll have frequent owls and even some evening floo chats," Amelia replied.

"Does this ease your mind?"

"Yes," she said. "Let's get the bloody hell out of here. They've been giving us dirty looks for hours."

"I don't know why," Oliver reasoned. "We both ate twice and had more tea than necessary." In spite of his protests, Oliver took Amelia's hand and led her back into the street. "What time does the last train leave?"

"9:00 tonight," Amelia answered. "And I've been told that I have to be on it or I'll be grounded for the rest of summer."

"We'll make sure that you're home on time," Oliver promised. "If necessary, I'll take you by side along apparition. What would you like to do now?"

"This," she said, smirking, and leapt into his arms, kissing him fully.

He broke the kiss after a few moments and set her down. Then, he said, "Perhaps we could find a better location to do that some more." Amelia looked around and noticed that several people were staring. She blushed and snuggled as close to Oliver as possible. He pulled away, took her hand, and led her down the street.

He led her all the way to an elementary school that had a playground. "Since we did this the other night," he said, "I thought we'd do it again." He suggested that Amelia sit on a swing so that he could push her. They spent an hour on the playground, swinging and laughing like children.

Finally, Amelia said, "Is this all we're going to do today?"

"We could do other things," Oliver answered, angling himself closer to Amelia. He was about to lean in and kiss her when he heard some children giggling nearby. "Perhaps, though, we should do those other things somewhere else."

"Good idea," Amelia laughed. She took Oliver's hand and let him lead her back through the town. He found them a nook that was fairly secluded and backed her up against the wall before kissing her soundly. She kissed back, running her hands through his hair. Oliver moved his hand down to her rear and squeezed.

"Cheeky," she scolded, breaking the kiss.

"Always," he promised, smirking.

"I want you," she said, taking a far more serious tone.

"I want you, too," he replied, breathless. "Come with me." He took her hand further into the alley and apparated them to a secluded meadow.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"It's where I used to play quidditch as a kid," he answered. "Just over that hill is my house. See?" She looked and nodded. She could just make out the roof of Oliver's house over the next hill.

"Will anyone disturb us here?"

"No," he promised. "And I've made no promises to my dad about today." He waved his wand and a blanket appeared on the ground. He sat on the blanket and tugged her hand, pulling her into his lap.

Amelia kissed Oliver tenderly; he laid her on the blanket and hovered over her. Amelia's breath caught in her throat and her hands were trembling as she grasped at Oliver's shirt and pulled it over his head. He tugged at her shirt and pulled it over her head. He caressed her breast gently over the fabric of her bra. She moaned softly and reached for his belt…

As they lay together in the afternoon sun, Amelia rolled over to Oliver and said, "Can you come to my house for the weekend next weekend?"

"Shouldn't be a problem," Oliver answered. "Why?"

"My brother's getting married and I'll need a date," Amelia answered. "So, will you be my date and save me from the throngs of randy football players?"

"You know I can never resist a rescue mission," he teased. "Of course I'll be your date." Oliver looked at his watch and sat up, pulling his trousers back on and retrieving his shirt. Amelia gave him a dirty look, but wiggled back into her trousers as well.

"I don't want to leave, but we have to eat before we make sure you get the last train," Oliver explained.

"I know," she sighed. "I don't want to leave either, but if I don't, Mum will never let me out of the house again." They finished dressing and Oliver helped her up. Then, he walked her back to town so that they could have tea before she got on the train back to Leeds.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Amelia was sad to leave Oliver, but at least she had the memory of the day. When she got home, her mother asked her what she and Oliver did all day. "Mostly, Mum, we talked about how to handle the next year until I graduate," Amelia answered.

"What did you do besides talking?" Camilla demanded.

"We walked around, we held hands, we went to a playground and had a swing," Amelia replied, coyly. She was hoping her mother would not insist on hearing the grittier details of the afternoon. "Oh, and we went for a fly through the hills behind Oliver's house."

"That's it?"

"Yes, Mum," Amelia answered. "Why?"

"Because unless you got that mark from the broomstick, I'm certain you're hiding something from me," Camilla retorted. Amelia rushed to a mirror and looked; Oliver had left a hickey on her neck.

"There was some snogging, Mum," Amelia explained. "Nothing else."

Camilla didn't really believe Amelia, but since her father and brother's had entered, she curbed the discussion. "Go and cover that before your dad sees it," Camilla whispered. Amelia nodded and trotted up to her bedroom. She covered the bruise just as her mother knocked on the door.

"Come in," she called.

"Amelia, I wanted to tell you that tomorrow, we'll be going for the final dress fitting for Brandon's wedding," Camilla said. "We'll be leaving at 9, so be sure to be up."

"OK, Mum," Amelia answered. "And don't forget, Oliver and his parents will be here Friday for supper."

"I haven't forgotten," Camilla replied. "Will Oliver be accompanying you to Brandon's wedding?"

"Yes, Mum," Amelia said. "I hope that's alright."

"Of course, dear," Camilla answered. "We had anticipated as much from your letters about him. You really do love him, don't you?"

"Yes. And I'm sure you'll like him once you get to know him, Mum."

"Amelia, I already like him. What's not to like? He's handsome, athletic, and kind, and he treats you like a princess." Amelia smirked at her mother's admission, and, now that she was thinking about it, agreed with her mother. Oliver did treat her like a princess, and she loved that he did.

After dinner that evening, Amelia wrote a letter to Oliver, scolding him for leaving his marks all over her neck for her mother to find. When he got the letter and read it, he started laughing uncontrollably, which led to his father pounding on his door and demanding to know what was so funny.

"Nothing, Da," he lied. "Just a note from Amelia."

"Is it a note you'd care to share with me or your mother?"

"No."

"Then, I'd suggest keeping your laughter to yourself," Edward ordered. Oliver blushed and nodded. Then, he sent a note to Amelia scolding her for getting him into trouble with his dad.

The week went slowly, and by the time Friday arrived, Amelia was waiting anxiously for Oliver's arrival. They had exchanged several letters daily, earning her a glare from her owl, Mercury, but she was not too concerned with the owl's feelings. She and her mother had gone shopping and picked up the appropriate food, while Oliver took his parents to the local liquor store to get a nice bottle of wine. He also insisted that he bring flowers for both Amelia and her mother.

The Woods arrived exactly on time and Joseph greeted them at the door. "You must be Mr. and Mrs. Wood," he said to Edward and Jane. "Please come in. My wife and daughter are expecting you."

"Please call me Edward," Edward said. "And this is Jane."

"I'm Joseph and here's my wife, Camilla," Joseph said as Camilla and Amelia entered. "It's good to see you again, Oliver."

"Likewise, Mr. Clark," Oliver replied. Amelia leapt into his arms and kissed him on the lips, chastely. "Hello to you, too, love. These are for you." He handed her a bouquet of light pink roses. "And these are for you, Mrs. Clark." He handed a bouquet of yellow roses to Camilla.

"That was most kind, Oliver," she said. "Please make yourselves at home. Might I get anyone a drink?"

"We've brought a bottle of wine," Jane offered. "It's lovely to meet you, Camilla."

Camilla opened the wine and served glasses to each of the adults. She would not allow Amelia and Oliver to share in the wine, much to Amelia's annoyance. While the adults made small talk and finished getting dinner ready, Amelia took Oliver outside for a walk around the grounds. "I think our parents are getting along," she said, when they were safely hidden in the garden.

"Were you really pissed about the love bites?" he joked. Amelia swatted him and answered affirmatively. "Sorry."

"Liar," she accused. "You're not sorry. But, Mum just thinks that we were snogging, so no admissions from you about sex."

"Fair enough, love," he promised. "Does your Mum approve me coming to your brother's wedding?"

"She had counted on it," Amelia replied. "She said she knew I would ask from how I talked about you in my letters. Don't smirk." Oliver was, indeed, smirking.

"You talked about me in your letters, eh?"

"Shut up, you insufferable git," she ordered.

"Insufferable git?" he laughed. She nodded and raised her eyebrows.

"What are you going to do about it?"

"Nothing," he answered, "except this." He grabbed her and started tickling her sides, earning several smacks. They were laughing like children when her mother came out into the garden and called them for dinner.

The dinner was very pleasant and Amelia breathed a sigh of relief when it became apparent that her parents and Oliver's parents were getting along very well. "Nervous?" Oliver whispered.

"I was," she answered. "But they're getting on like old mates." Oliver squeezed her hand and gave her a wink.

As Oliver and his parents were leaving, Camilla said to Oliver, "We'll be seeing you next weekend, right?"

"Yes, Mrs. Clark," Oliver promised. "Thank you for a lovely evening."

"Jane, Edward, it was so nice meeting you. We must do this again," Camilla beamed. "Perhaps just before Amelia goes back to school."

"That would be lovely," Jane replied. "Have Amelia send us an owl and we'll set up a date, but perhaps next time you could come by our house."

"I think we'd love that," Joseph said.

Oliver gave Amelia a chaste kiss before following his parents into the backyard and apparating away. "They are a lovely family, Amelia," Camilla crowed. "You've done well."

"Thank you, Mum," she replied. "May I go now?"

"Good night, dear," Camilla said. Amelia took her leave and went to her room. She didn't have to wait long before the familiar pop sounded signaling that Oliver had apparated back to Amelia's room. He grabbed her waist and kissed her furiously, but paused so that Amelia could make sure to lock her bedroom door.

"Do your parents know you're here?" Amelia asked, breathless when they pulled apart again.

"No," he admitted. "They think I've gone to bed. What about your parents?"

"They think I've gone to bed, too," she answered. "Are you staying tonight?"

"I shouldn't," he said, hesitantly.

"But you want to," she sang.

"I do, but it can't," he said, firmly. "So, let's make the most of the time I have before I leave."

An hour later, Oliver pulled his clothes back on and gave Amelia a quick kiss. "I'll owl later," he promised.

Amelia didn't want him to leave, but didn't say anything to stop him. Instead, she asked, "Before you leave, could you toss me my pajamas?"

"Where are they?"

"Hanging on the back of the door," she answered, sleepily.

Oliver grabbed Amelia's pajamas and handed them to her. He kissed her once more and said, "Get some sleep. I love you."

"Love you too," she mumbled. After Oliver apparated away, Amelia pulled herself out of bed to put her pajamas on so her parents would not find her sleeping naked and start asking questions.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

The next weekend, Oliver apparated to Amelia's house for her brother's wedding. She greeted him in the garden. "Mum and Dad have agreed you can stay tonight," she said. "But, you'll be in my brother Mike's room, with him, so no shagging tonight."

"I can live with that," he promised. He took her hand and followed her into the house, to deposit his suit until they had to get ready for the wedding. Camilla was running around helping Brandon finish the last few things before the wedding, so Amelia and Oliver were left to their own devices for a while.

An hour later, Amelia left Oliver in her brother's room to get dressed for the wedding. She met him in the hall after donning her dress. "You look beautiful," he said.

"Always the tone of surprise," she teased. "Could you finish the zipper, please?"

"Sure," he replied. Oliver finished her zipper and kissed her neck, but she pulled away.

"Not here, not now," she said. "We'll get caught." Oliver sighed, but nodded. Amelia was just about to walk him downstairs when her mother appeared, looking for them both.

"We're about ready to head to the wedding," Camilla said. "Are you lot ready to go?"

"Yes, Mum," Amelia answered. She took Oliver's hand and led him to the waiting car. When they arrived at the Church, Amelia left Oliver sitting with her parents. As she was leaving, she turned to him and said, "I have to go to the choir. I'll meet you after?" Oliver nodded and Amelia trotted to the choir where the organist was waiting for her.

Oliver had never heard Amelia sing until that day, and he had never heard a better sound. To him, it was even better than the sound of the wind rushing by when he flew and he was in awe of her. "Never heard her sing, have you?" Joseph asked.

"No, sir," Oliver replied.

"She's good," Joseph stated.

"Yes," Oliver answered. "It's the sweetest sound I've ever heard." Joseph smirked to himself, but said nothing further.

When the wedding ended, Amelia met Oliver and her parents at the doors to the church. Oliver grabbed her and lifted her off the ground. "Why didn't you tell me you could sing?" he asked.

"You never asked," Amelia teased. "And I don't generally sing, at least not in public."

"You should," Oliver whispered. "It was the sweetest sound I've ever heard." Amelia blushed and hid her head in Oliver's chest. Her parents escorted Amelia and Oliver into the car to go to the reception.

At the reception, Amelia's family were most interested in Oliver. She had pre-warned him that the others were all muggles, so he had tried to figure out ways to step around quidditch and other magical things. He nearly lost it a few times, but was able to keep composed and recover with Amelia's help. "You're doing great," she whispered to him. "They're all surprised that I have a boyfriend."

"Cheers, love," he answered. "Will they let up soon?"

"Once dinner is served, and we've all had a few drinks, they'll ease up," she promised, and she was right. Not long after their conversation, they were herded into the dining room for dinner and then the dancing. Amelia had hoped that Oliver would ask her to dance, but wasn't really counting on it, so she was happily surprised when he stood and offered her a hand. She graciously accepted it and followed him onto the dance floor.

"Don't look so surprised, love," Oliver teased when they were alone on the dance floor. "You've seen me dance, and you've danced with me."

"I know," she joked. "That's why I wasn't expecting an invitation…and I appreciate the effort."

"Very funny."

"Thank you, sir," she teased.

"Any chance we can sneak out for a while?"

Amelia gave him a suspicious look and asked, "Why?"

"I want to snog you, but I don't fancy doing it in front of your parents and brothers. I'd rather like to keep all my limbs attached," he replied.

"After this song, I'll go to the loo. Wait 5 minutes and follow me, but veer off to the coat room," she suggested. Oliver nodded, glided her around the dance floor once more before the song ended. As promised, Amelia excused herself to the toilet when the song ended and Oliver stepped over to their table. He drank a glass of water, and, as promised, made an excuse and followed Amelia.

She was waiting in the coat room when he arrived and she leapt at him when he opened the door. Oliver nearly lost his balance, but gripped her waist and kissed her…hard. He backed her up against a wall and continued his assault on her mouth.

She wound her fingers in his hair and tugged. When he backed her up to the wall, he lifted her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist. They snogged for several minutes before she pulled back. "We should stop before someone finds us," she whispered.

"I know." He put his forehead against hers and exhaled deeply. "I can't say it wasn't fun, though."

"You are such a cheek," she accused.

"I've never denied it," he replied, smirking.

Amelia straightened her dress and Oliver combed his hair before they returned to the party. When they got back to their table, her mother demanded, "Where were you?"

"I went to the loo, Mum," Amelia answered. "And I met up with Oliver just outside." Oliver nodded beside Amelia and put his most innocent face on. Camilla regarded them carefully, but bought the lie when Joseph invited her to dance.

"That was close," Oliver breathed when they left. "We should be more careful."

"We should," Amelia replied. "Now, invite me to dance before my brother's friend gets over here." Amelia nodded to a young man whose face was marked by acne sauntering over to them. Oliver stood and held out his hand to Amelia.

It was nearly 1:00AM when the wedding festivities were finally starting to wear down. Amelia was seated on Oliver's lap and dozing against his shoulder when her mother came to fetch them. "Princess, you've got to wake," Oliver nudged. "We're going home now."

Amelia didn't reply; she simply groaned. Camilla was going to press her further, but Oliver stepped in. "I can carry her," he promised. He put one arm under her knees and the other at her back and carried her, bridal style, to the waiting car.

In the car, Amelia stayed on Oliver's lap, still dozing. When they arrived back at her house, Oliver shook her awake to get her out of the car. He then suggested that she walk to her room, but kept his arm around her waist until he deposited her outside her bedroom door. He kissed her chastely on the cheek and bade her goodnight; then, he wandered down the hall to her brother's room.

When Amelia woke in the morning, Oliver was still sleeping. She pulled on some shorts and went to the kitchen for breakfast. "Oliver is still sleeping," her mother informed her. "Perhaps you should go wake him for breakfast." Amelia nodded and went to her brother's bedroom.

She knocked on the door and Oliver, who was awake, opened to find her there, hair still disheveled, and looking like she just woke up. He couldn't contain the laughter. "Good morning, beautiful," he teased. "Sleep well?"

"Sort of," she replied. "I had some weird dreams and they involved you, me, very little clothing, and chocolate sauce."

Oliver raised an eyebrow and muttered, "Torture, woman." Amelia smirked as she sashayed her way down the hall. She stopped in her room and noticed that her hair was madly askew, a detail that her mother failed to mention before sending Amelia to rouse Oliver.

Oliver returned to Kilbride later that day. As he was departing, he promised to visit Amelia again soon. "I have a football match next week. You'll come?" she asked.

"Of course, love," he promised. He thanked her parents and brothers for their hospitality and then went to the back of the garden to apparate home.

Oliver did come to Amelia's football match the following week and was, as usual, most impressed with her abilities. She was quite a gifted athlete. "You really are amazing," he said when he met up with her after the game. A few of the other girls on the team gave Oliver appraising looks, but he didn't notice or he didn't respond. Amelia gave smirked to herself and, inwardly, patted herself on the back.

"What's that about?" Oliver asked.

"What?" she replied.

"That smirk," he said. "You look like the cat that got the cream."

"It's just that you didn't notice or didn't respond to those girls flirting with you," she explained.

"Love, you're the only girl I want to flirt with," he said, with a wink.

"I'm just going to go change. Can you wait 5 minutes?"

"Of course, Ames," Oliver promised. "I'll be right here."

Amelia went to the locker room to change into her street clothes and out of her sweaty uniform. When she returned, Oliver was waiting for her, continuing to ignore the flirtations of the other girls. Amelia grabbed his hand and walked to her house with him.

As the day wore on, however, Amelia sensed that something was amiss. Then, she realized that Oliver would be moving the following week. "You're moving next week, aren't you?" she said; they were in her tree house.

"Aye," he answered, sadly, stroking her hair. "I don't want to leave."

"What time do you have to be back tonight?" she asked.

"By tea at 6," he answered. "And it's after five now."

Amelia sat up, pulled her clothes back on and tried to hide the tear she wiped from her cheek. Oliver noticed. "Please, don't cry," Oliver begged. "I can't bear it when you cry."

"What would you have me do, Wood? Throw a party?" she demanded, no longer caring to hide the tears.

"We've talked about this," he whined.

"Doesn't make it any easier," she whispered. "We should get back. Your parents will be expecting you."

They climbed down the rope ladder and left the tree house. Just before he apparated, Oliver stopped, grabbed Amelia by the shoulders and kissed her hard. "Just so you don't forget how much I love you," he said. Then, he apparated home.

Amelia didn't have time to respond to Oliver before he apparated away. She walked slowly home. When she arrived, she ignored her mother and went to her room. She had no desire to speak to anyone, so she locked the door to her room and refused to answer.

Oliver sent her a note that night and promised to see her within a few days. He kept his word and found a few hours to get to Leeds to visit Amelia. "It's been a few days," he said, when she answered the door. "How are you doing?"

"Honestly, I've been better, but I'm glad you're here," she replied. "Would you like to come in?"

"I was rather hoping that you'd come out," he joked. "I want to take you somewhere." He had a mischievous glint in his eye, but Amelia told her mother that she was going out for a while and left with Oliver.

He led her to the back of her yard and said, "Are you ready?"

"For what?"

"I'm going to take you somewhere for a bit," he answered. "Grab onto my arm." She did and he apparated them to Puddlemere.

"Where are we?" she asked when they landed.

"Puddlemere," Oliver answered. "I wanted to show you that, as far away as it is by muggle transportation, I can apparate and we can still see each other."

Amelia leapt at Oliver and kissed him fully. When they broke apart, Oliver asked, "What was that for?"

"Thank you," she replied. "Thank you for reminding me how easy it will be to see you. Sometimes, I forget about these wizarding things."

"Would you like to see my new apartment?" he offered.

"Lead the way," she replied, letting him take her hand.

Oliver's flat was very near to the Puddlemere stadium and was small, but cozy. "So, this is me as of Saturday," he said. Most of his belongings had already been moved into the flat. He had a sofa in the sitting room with a Gryffindor quilt on the back. The kitchen was small, but Oliver didn't seem to mind. "I can't cook anyhow," he joked.

Then, he led her back to the bedroom. He had a double bed and stands on either side. There was also a bureau in the corner. The thing that Amelia liked most about the room, however, was not the furnishings or the décor. It was the small photo frame on the stand right next to what she assumed was Oliver's side of the bed. The frame held a photo that they had taken just after the Quidditch cup and she watched as she repeatedly jumped into Oliver's arms, and he swung her around, completely ignoring everyone else in the scene.

"That is my favorite photo of us," he said. "That was right before you gave me the best surprise anyone has ever given me." He sat on his bed and patted the spot next to him for Amelia; she sat next to him. "Don't forget that I'm going to miss you, too," he whispered.

"I won't," she promised. "We should get back before my mother figures out you took me all the way to Puddlemere."

"You mean Camilla won't like the idea?" Oliver joked.

"She may set my brothers on you," Amelia suggested.

"Ouch, that's really harsh," he said, scandalized. Oliver got up from his bed, gave Amelia his hand and apparated them back to Leeds. "I'll see you on the weekend," he promised, taking his leave and heading back to his parents' house.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

The rest of the week passed slowly for Amelia. She was bored at home and Oliver was too busy to come and visit. She also hadn't heard from her friends all summer. Then, Oliver moved to Puddlemere and had even less time to come and visit; it was something that she expected, but she was still unhappy about it, and it made her nervous about the coming term at school.

As her birthday approached, she got more annoyed that no one seemed to care until the day before. Oliver apparated into her bedroom late that night, drenched from the rain and looking appropriately abashed. "I'm sorry I've been a shit boyfriend," he said.

"You've been busy," Amelia replied. "I know you would have been more attentive if you could have been. Besides, none of that matters because you're here now."

"You really are the best girlfriend," Oliver said, dripping water all over her floor.

She took a shy step towards him and whispered, "We should get you out of those wet robes." She took his cloak and removed it, tossing it onto the floor. Then, she kissed his jaw, tentatively.

When she paused, he whispered, "Don't stop." He raised his arms and let her remove his shirt, backing up to make it easier for her to get it over his head. He moved back in, grabbed her by the waist and kissed her fully. He tugged on her shirt and she stepped back to lift it over her head.

"What time is it?" she asked, breathlessly.

"Why?"

"My birthday," she answered, in between kisses on Oliver's jaw.

"It's 12:10," he replied. She smirked, grabbed her wand and waved it, locking her door and casting a silencing charm around the room. He chuckled, but quickly pulled her back in for another searing kiss.

He moved and kissed her jaw and earlobe, muttering, "Happy Birthday." She giggled but managed to squeak out a "thank you" before she succumbed to an entire fit of laughter. They tumbled backwards onto her bed.

Oliver was smirking at Amelia as he hovered over her. He played with her breasts and kissed and nipped at her until he reached her pajama bottoms. She raised her hips so he could pull them off and they soon joined the growing pile of clothing on the floor. She grabbed at his trousers to unbutton them and remove them as quickly as possible. "Should we be doing this?" he asked, suddenly.

"I swear to Merlin, Oliver, if you quit now, you'll never get any again," she panted. "Yes, we should be doing this."

"Fair enough," he replied and resumed shedding their clothing. He grabbed his wand and cast a contraceptive charm. Then, he entered her and she bucked her hips to meet his thrusts. When they finished, they lay panting, and slightly sweaty in her bed.

"Thanks for coming over," she whispered, nuzzling his chest. He stroked her back gently and played with her hair as they drifted off to sleep.

Amelia woke a few hours later when she felt Oliver shifting and getting out of bed. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"I thought we should not be caught in bed together," he replied. He kissed her forehead and continued, "I'm going home for a bit, but I'll be back later to wish you a happy birthday. I'll even bring your present."

"I thought you gave me a present a few hours ago," she teased.

"Yes, but this present is something I can give you in front of your parents," he said, seriously. He kissed her one more time and apparated away. Amelia went back to sleep for several more hours and woke to her mother's incessant knocking.

"What?" she shouted.

"You have a visitor, Amelia," her mother scolded. Then, Amelia remembered Oliver's promise to come back with her present and quickly threw on some clothes before opening her door and running downstairs. She was mildly disappointed when she found Kate and Charity there.

"I think she was expecting or hoping for someone else," Charity teased.

"It would appear so, Charity," Kate joked.

"Perhaps, she was hoping but she'll have to suffer with us," Charity added.

"Shut it, you lot," Amelia protested. "Now, where are my presents?" The girls giggled but handed over presents to Amelia. They ate breakfast with her and giggled incessantly, much to the annoyance of Amelia's older brother, James, who was still home.

"Good, God, Amelia," he whined. "Can you lot ease up?"

"Bugger off, Jamie," Amelia retorted. "We haven't seen each other since June." Jamie rolled his eyes but left Amelia and her friends.

"Ames, it is time for you to get showered and dressed," Kate announced once breakfast was over. "We've got a better surprise for you." Amelia followed Kate's instructions and went into the shower. When she returned to her room to get dressed, she noticed that Kate and Charity had laid out a skirt and shirt for her to wear. She donned the clothes and met them in the sitting room.

"We've cleared it with your parents," Charity said. "We're kidnapping you for the day. And we can keep you until the evening." Amelia looked to her mother; Camilla nodded in agreement and she smirked and left with her friends.

"Where are we going?" Amelia asked when they were alone in the garden. "And how are we getting there?"

"We've taken the liberty of setting up your apparition test for today," Kate explained. "So, first to the Ministry of Magic by side-along apparition, and then somewhere else." Amelia grabbed Kate's hand and let her apparate them to the Ministry of Magic. She checked in with the Welcome Wizard and went to the testing site. Twenty minutes later, she had completed, and passed, her test. She apparated back to Kate and Charity just because she could.

After the apparition test, Kate and Charity took Amelia to Diagon Alley where her next surprise was waiting. "Amelia Clark!" George shouted over the tourists. "Get your fine arse over here and let me squeeze it."

"I doubt Oliver would thank you for that, Georgie," she teased, but she leapt at him and gave him a hug. He picked her up and swung her around, and when he set her down, Fred repeated his actions.

"Thanks lads," Amelia said. "How did you get here, though?"

"We were picked up by some lovely birds and brought here by side along apparition," Fred explained. "We can't stay too long, though. Mum will do her nut if we don't return with Bill and Charlie in an hour."

"No worries, boys," Amelia promised. "I'm just glad you could join us for part of the day."

"I think you'll find the best is yet to come," George said, with a wink. "But, first, let's get you some ice cream. Can't have you eating health food on your birthday."

"Cheers," she replied. They took her to Flourean Fortescue's ice cream parlor and insisted on treating her to a rather large concoction with 3 flavors of ice cream and several toppings. She was almost disappointed in the company of the twins and her best friends; Amelia had been hoping that Oliver would pop up in Diagon Alley, but she was beginning to give up her hope.

"Boy, you'd think she'd be happier to see us," George teased, noticing the crestfallen look on Amelia's face.

"And we even bought her an ice cream for her birthday," Fred added. "What's got you down, love?"

"Nothing," she lied.

"I think I know, Freddie," George started.

"Go on, then Georgie. Explain it," Fred replied.

"She was hoping to have ice cream with a burly Scotsman who used to be our Quidditch captain," George continued. He gave an almost imperceptible nod over Amelia's shoulder.

"Don't eat too much, darling," Oliver said, scaring Amelia. "I don't want you to get fat."

"You. Bloody. Arse," Amelia growled. Then, she lobbed a spoonful of ice cream at him. She tried to pretend to be mad at him, but the puppy dog look on his ice cream soaked face made her laugh. "Here," she ordered. "Let me." She aimed her wand at his face and said, "Scourgify," cleaning the mess from his face.

"Thank you," he said. "Now is that all I get?" She smirked, but leapt at him and kissed him fiercely.

"Please," George teased. "There are children here."

"Shut it, Weasley," Oliver ordered. "I don't get to kiss her often enough." Amelia snuggled into his arms and whispered, so only Oliver could hear, "You did more than kiss me last night." He smirked and kissed her again.

"So, what else have we got planned for today?" Amelia asked.

"Our job was to make sure you made it to your apparition test and get you here," Kate answered, nodding at Oliver. "We've done our jobs and we've given you your presents, so we're going to sneak off and see you in a couple of weeks."

Amelia hugged all of her friends, thanking them for the day, and turned to Oliver. "This was your doing?"

"Guilty," he replied. "I wanted to get you something unforgettable for your birthday. But there's more. I don't have training today, so I'm all yours. I thought we could hang around London for the day and I'll have you home by 6."

"Does Mum know that you planned this?" she asked.

"Not entirely. We decided that I'll drop by your house for tea tonight," he replied. "I will have dinner and cake with your family. And then on Sunday we leave for the World Cup."

"You are going to get so shagged later," Amelia promised. "This is a very good gift."

"Love, this isn't your gift," Oliver corrected. "This is a way for me to get you alone for several hours. Come with me if you want your gift." Oliver put his hand out for Amelia and she took it, following him down Diagon Alley.

After window shopping around the alley for nearly an hour, Oliver led her back into muggle London. "I had to ask around for what to get you," he said. "It was a hard choice to make, but Angelina and Alicia were very helpful."

"So, what did you get me?" she asked. Oliver produced a small box out of his pocket. Amelia opened the box to find a lovely locket. Oliver suggested that she open the locket and she found a picture of them taken just after Valentine's Day. "This is not long after we got back together," she mused.

"Do you like it?" Oliver asked, nervously.

"No," she said; his face fell. "I love it, almost as much as the bloke that gave it to me." She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him. "In case I've forgotten to tell you recently, I really love you."

"I really love you, too, sweets," he replied, and kissed her back. Then, he grabbed her and apparated them to Puddlemere. Before she could ask why they were there, Oliver said, "I wanted to show you around and ease your pretty mind for while you're back at school."

"I see," she said, smirking. "So, show me around."

Oliver smiled and nodded. Then, he took her hand and walked her around the town where he was living. He showed her the stadium and around where his flat was. As he was showing her around, she noticed that almost everyone living nearby was in some way employed by the team. The neighbors in his apartment building were all players and the town seemed dedicated to Quidditch. Knowing this made Amelia feel much safer; she knew Oliver would never cheat on her with a team mate or a team mate's girlfriend. "Is this the other part of my birthday present?" she asked.

"Did it ease your pretty mind?" She nodded. "Then, yes, it is the other part of your birthday present."

By 5:30, Amelia was getting nervous about making it home on time, so Oliver apparated with her to Leeds. She arrived at home just in time for her mother. She pretended to be terribly upset that she had not seen Oliver when her mother knocked on her door, she even pretended to cry. "What's wrong dear?" Camilla asked.

"I thought Oliver would come out and meet us today," Amelia answered.

"When did he give you your present?" Camilla asked, smirking a little too much.

"He sent it along with Kate and Charity," Amelia replied. "They apparently went to see him this morning before coming here."

"Well, the day isn't over yet, dear. Perhaps he'll turn up before the end of it," Camilla suggested. Amelia nodded and followed her mother to the dining room for tea. All of her brothers were there, including Brandon and his new wife, but Amelia counted the seats.

"Mum, there are too many places set," Amelia protested.

"No, there are exactly enough," Camilla stated. Amelia pretended to look confused, but the door bell rang and she knew who was there. That did not prevent her from squealing when Oliver followed her brother Mike into the dining room. She leapt at him and kissed him chastely.

After dinner, Amelia and Oliver took a walk together. "So, on Saturday, I'll be back to pick you up for the World Cup," Oliver said. "I'll be here at noon, if that's alright."

"That will be fine," Amelia promised. "Where will we be on Saturday night?"

"We'll be with my parents in Kilbride," Oliver replied. "Then, on Sunday morning, fairly early, we'll apparate to the Cup grounds." Oliver then kissed her sweetly and wished her goodnight. He apparated home to Kilbride and she walked back into her house.

Two days later, Oliver arrived to pick up Amelia and bring her to his parents' house for the World Cup. When they arrived back at his parents' house, Jane and Edward greeted Amelia kindly. "It's lovely to see you again, dear," Jane said, hugging Amelia.

"Thank you, Mrs. Wood," Amelia replied. "It's lovely to see you again, too. And thank you, again, for inviting me."

"It's our pleasure, Amelia," Edward promised. "And Happy Birthday. I hope you got what you wanted."

"And then some, Mr. Wood," Amelia answered. "It was a lovely day." Oliver had taken Amelia's bag to the guest room while she chatted with his parents. When he returned, they ate lunch in the garden and then Oliver and Amelia went for a fly. By the time the evening rolled around, Amelia was exhausted.

"I'm across the hall if you need anything," Oliver said when he deposited Amelia at the guest room for bed. "Sleep well, love."

"Sweet dreams, babe," Amelia replied. She kissed Oliver chastely and went to bed.

The next morning, Amelia woke to Oliver's knocking on her door. "If you want to go, we'd best get up," he said. "Breakfast will be waiting when you're ready to eat."

"Thanks," Amelia said, yawning loudly. "I'll be just a few minutes." She got dressed and joined the Wood family for breakfast. "How are we getting to the cup?"

"We're apparating since we're all of age," Edward answered. "But, we need to be there by 8 or they'll give our site away." Amelia nodded and by the time they needed to apparate was ready to go. She and Oliver agreed to apparate together and arrived less than a second behind his parents. They checked in and went to their campsite as quickly as possible.

When they arrived at the site, Oliver and his dad put up the tents, one for Mr. and Mrs. Wood and one for Oliver and Amelia. Amelia and Jane got a fire started and went to get water. When they came back, Oliver and Edward had the tents ready.

Amelia didn't know what to expect when she entered the tent, but it wasn't a 1 bedroom apartment complete with kitchen and bathroom. "Magic," Oliver explained, bringing her bags in for her.

"I love magic," she marveled.

"So, the game isn't until Wednesday, but we get to hang out here for a few days," Oliver said. "We should take a walk." Amelia nodded and they left the site to go exploring the area. They ran into a few people they knew from Hogwarts, including Oliver's friend, Connor. On Wednesday, not long before the game was to begin, Oliver ran into Harry Potter and some of the Weasleys. "You've got to come and meet my parents, Harry," Oliver begged.

Harry reluctantly agreed and followed Oliver and Amelia back to their campsite to meet his parents. After a cup of tea, Harry, Ron, and Hermione left to get back to their campsite and Oliver, Amelia, and his parents headed into the stadium for the game. Amelia was terrified, but impressed at the level of skill and at Oliver's enthusiasm. She was stunned when the Bulgarian seeker caught the snitch even though it meant that they would lose.

"Why would he do that?" Amelia asked.

"He wanted to end the game on his terms and save his team as much as possible," Oliver answered. "It was a way to sort of save face. Krum knew they couldn't win at that point, so he ended the game."

"I see," Amelia replied. She yawned loudly, and Oliver insisted on carrying her back to their tent. When they returned, they bade his parents good night and went to bed.

Loud noises woke them not long after they went to sleep, curled around each other. There was shouting and banging. Oliver's father came running into the tent to wake them and insisted they get dressed and follow him. Oliver and Amelia immediately complied with his directions. "It's Death Eaters. They're going after muggles," Edward explained. "Get her home, Oliver."

Oliver nodded, and before Amelia had time to respond, he apparated them to his parents' house. "What did your dad mean?" Amelia asked when they landed.

"There are some wizards who believe that muggles and muggle born wizards are second class," Oliver explained. "They were You-Know-Who's followers. Tonight, they got excited and started going after muggles and muggle-borns. I brought you here so they wouldn't find you."

"They're after people like me?" she asked, in a small voice.

"Yes."

"What about your parents?" Amelia asked, starting to panic. "We should go back and help them."

"I was told to bring you here," Oliver replied, pulling her into his arms. "My parents are pure bloods. They'll be fine and they'll be back soon." Almost as soon as the words were out of his mouth, Amelia and Oliver heard the familiar pop that signaled someone had apparated to the garden. Oliver sat Amelia at the kitchen table. He pulled his wand and trained it on the door, in case it was someone else, but lowered it when he heard his father's voice.

"We're home, son," Edward called as he and Jane appeared in the kitchen.

"You should go and get some sleep," Jane suggested, noticing Amelia's ashen face.

Oliver knelt in front of Amelia. "Are you alright?"

"Peachy," she answered, shaking, and completely in shock. Bile rose in her throat and she pushed past Oliver to go to the toilet and vomit. Oliver followed and pulled her hair back from her face. His mother had also followed and handed Oliver a cool compress. Amelia felt the cool cloth on the back of her neck and shivered.

When she finished, she slumped against the floor. Oliver sat with her and let her lean on him. "Let's get some sleep," he suggested. She nodded, weakly, and they stood. Oliver scooped her into his arms and carried her to his room. He laid her on his bed and curled up next to her.

Amelia woke a few hours later, still wrapped in Oliver's arms. She started to move and he woke with a start. "Sorry, but I have to wee," she whined. He opened his arms and let her up. She returned moments later and crawled right back into Oliver's waiting arms.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Amelia returned home later that day to her parents. Since they were muggles, they did not get the wizarding news and did not know anything about the ruckus at the World Cup. Amelia chose not to tell them about it. "How was that thing you went to?" Camilla asked when Amelia walked in.

"It was good, Mum," she answered. "Oliver and I had a great time with his parents. I'm going to shower." She ran up the stairs and met Oliver, who was waiting in her room. He waited while she showered and changed; then, they snogged for a while before he had to get back to Puddlemere for a team meeting.

"Love you," he whispered just before he left.

"Love you, too," she said to him. Once Oliver was gone, Amelia went back to her mother for a bit.

Over the next week, Amelia and Oliver frequently saw each other. She would apparate to his flat after going to bed and then apparate home very early the following morning. Her parents didn't even know she was going and, if her brothers knew, they weren't telling.

The night before she was set to leave for Hogwarts for her last year, her parents took her to London. She had told Oliver before that they would be staying in town that night for her to catch the train to Hogwarts. Oliver met them for tea and then took Amelia for a walk around London.

"I'm going to miss you tomorrow," Oliver said. "My bed is going to be very cold."

"I can't believe my parents haven't caught us," she mused. "And I'm going to miss you, too. We promised, though. No tears tonight or tomorrow on the platform. If you get too emotional, I'm going to lose it."

"I won't," Oliver promised, voice cracking. She gave him a pointed look and he cleared his throat. "Alright, I won't do it in front of you."

"There's the stoic I've grown to love," she teased. "Come on, love. You'd best get me back before my parents think you've kidnapped me to deflower me."

"If only they knew," he joked. She giggled and snuggled into his arms. "I'll see you in the morning. Love you." He kissed her on the head.

"Love you too," she mumbled against his chest.

The next morning, Amelia's parents took her to King's Cross station to catch the train. They left her at the barrier and went to catch their train back to Leeds. Oliver met her on the platform and snogged her fully before she boarded the train. He kept kissing her until she nearly missed the train, but Fred and George interrupted them and made sure she got to school.

As the train pulled out of the station, she stuck her head out the window and yelled, "I love you!"

"Love you, too!" Oliver yelled back, waving at her. Once the train was out of his view, he apparated back to Puddlemere.

On the train, Amelia sat with Kate and Charity and regaled them with stories from her summer, glossing over the more salacious details. "I can't believe you're the same girl we knew from first day," Kate tutted.

"It's almost scary," Charity agreed. "You've turned into a real girl."

"Shut it," Amelia ordered. "And how much did you lot beg me to get a boyfriend for 3 years?"

"Ames, we're happy for you," Kate promised. "Oliver's a good guy and he's obviously crazy about you. We really are glad you lot got together."

When they finally reached the castle and settled in for the annual welcome back feast, Professor Dumbledore shocked everyone when he announced that the school would host the Tri-Wizard Tournament, and they would be greeting guests, on Halloween, from Beauxbatons and from Durmstrang Academy. He also announced that only students who were 17 would be permitted to enter. "Are you going to do it?" Kate asked.

"I'm going to put in," Charity answered. "What about you, Amelia?"

"I'll think about it," she answered, shyly. If she was telling the truth, the prospect of entering the tournament both terrified and exhilarated Amelia; she decided that she would bring it up with Oliver during their first floo-chat that night.

After the feast, Amelia and her friends made their way back to Gryffindor tower. They spent several hours in their dormitory giggling and gossiping about their summers. Charity and Roger Davies had broken up, but she had started to date another bloke who was in their year and house, John Foster. Kate and George had broken up before the end of term, but she had started going out with Jack Stebbins, a 7th year Hufflepuff.

At nearly midnight, Amelia made her excuses and went down to the common room. She was lucky in that she didn't have to shoo anyone out for her planned chat with Oliver. "Hi," she said, when his head popped into the fire. "How are you?"

"Tired," he answered. "Training was nasty today, but we're doing well and I might get a few starts in the regular season."

"I'm happy for you," she replied. "You'll be brilliant."

"How was the train?"

"A long ride, but still good. I missed you and lots of people were asking silly questions. Apparently, we've either eloped or broken up," she said. Oliver laughed.

"So, who got captain?" Oliver asked.

"I don't know," she answered. "There's no quidditch this year."

"WHAT?!"

"Oliver, hush!" Amelia ordered. "You'll wake the dead. The Tri-Wizard Tournament will be held here this year, so no quidditch. It's only open to students over 17 and I'm considering putting in for it."

"You'd be brilliant," Oliver promised. "But I'm guessing you're nervous?"

"Yeah. Professor Dumbledore was talking about eternal glory and 1000 galleons prize money, but the tasks are meant to be dangerous."

"If your pretty face could get injured," Oliver started, "I'd be happier if you were not in it, but I'll support whatever decision you make."

Amelia yawned loudly, so Oliver said, "It's late and you should be in bed. Tomorrow, you have classes. Get some sleep, babe, and I'll call soon."

"I love you," Amelia said.

"Love you, too," Oliver replied. She blew a kiss at his face in the fireplace and went up the stairs to her dormitory. She climbed into bed and went to sleep.

Over the next week, Amelia and Oliver shared owls almost daily. They even set up another floo call and spent another half-hour chatting. Then, they made plans for Amelia to meet Oliver in Hogsmeade on the next weekend. She got Fred and George to help her sneak out of the castle and found Oliver in the Three Broomsticks with butterbeer waiting.

"I've missed you," she said, climbing into the booth beside Oliver and kissing him.

"My bed is cold," he teased. "I may have to get a cat to keep it warm for me."

"You're allergic to cats," she joked.

"Bugger. I guess I'll have to do something else, then," he replied. "Perhaps a warming charm will help."

"I'd try that before you even think of any other options."

After finishing their drinks, Amelia helped Oliver sneak into the castle with her. They went to the Prefect's Bathroom and splashed around in the rather giant tub. When they finished in the Prefect's Bathroom, they went to the Room of Requirement, which Amelia had just discovered. Upon entering the room, they noticed a rather large, comfortable looking bed.

"This is convenient," Oliver mused. Amelia hooked her finger through his belt loop and pulled him over to the bed. They spent the next hour making love and cuddling.

Amelia was nearly dozing when Oliver shifted. "I really hate to do this, but I have to go," he said.

"I wish you didn't," Amelia whined.

"I know," he replied. "But unfortunately, I must." They rose and dressed; then, Amelia saw Oliver to the secret passage that would lead him back to Hogsmeade. They kissed and he promised to write.

Again, he kept his promises and wrote nearly daily to Amelia. She returned his letters as often as they came, though both refused to tell the other how difficult the distance was. When Halloween neared, she decided to put her name in the Goblet of Fire. She was only slightly sad, however, when Cedric was named the Hogwarts champion. She managed to get a note to him with congratulations, since they had kept up their friendship when they returned to school. She also had pre-arranged to speak with Oliver that night.

"So, how did it go?" he asked.

"I'm not the champion," she answered. "Cedric was chosen, but so was Harry Potter."

"I thought it was only open to students over 17," Oliver queried. "How did he get his name in?"

"No one knows and he swears he doesn't either," she replied. "I tend to believe him."

"I agree. Harry's a lot of things, but he's not a liar," he said. "Are you sad you didn't get it?"

"Not really," Amelia admitted. "Are you coming for the weekend?"

"I'll be there on Saturday, waiting in the Three Broomsticks, like we planned," he promised.

"I've got to go," Amelia said, suddenly. "Someone's coming. I'll see you Saturday."

"Love you, doll," Oliver said.

"Love you, too," she answered. She stood and turned to find Harry Potter standing behind her. "Harry, if it's any help, I believe you."

"Cheers, Amelia," he said. "Was that Oliver?"

"Yes. I should go. Good night."

"Good night," he replied. Amelia climbed the stairs to her dormitory and went to bed.

That Saturday, she again went to Hogsmeade, this time with permission, and met up with Oliver. He was waiting, as promised, in the Three Broomsticks, in their favorite booth, with butterbeers for both of them. She plopped next to him and kissed him. "Good to see you, too, love," he joked. "Are your friends meeting us?"

"No, but we have to meet them later," she said.

"Why?"

"You get to experience dress shopping with a bunch of girls," she teased. Then, she explained, "As part of the Tri-Wizard Tournament, there's to be a ball on Christmas Eve and we'll need dresses. I'll also need a date if you're available."

"I'll make myself available," Oliver promised. "I can't have you getting all dolled up to go with some other bloke to this shin-dig."

"Shin-dig?" Amelia laughed. "You're weird."

"You're beautiful," he replied, "especially when you laugh. What time are we meeting your friends?"

"We've got an hour," she replied. They spent the next hour wandering around the village, holding hands, and stopping to snog every few minutes. They were, luckily, only a few minutes late to meet her friends.

When they reached the dress shop, it appeared that all of the girls in Hogwarts, and some of the visiting girls from Beauxbatons, were dress shopping. They had to fight to get fitting rooms and Oliver managed to get a stool to sit on while he waited.

While Oliver was waiting, a few girls who recognized him started giggling and hurried their pace to walk by. Some of the girls who didn't know him tried to step into his line of vision, but he, politely, refused and explained that he was waiting for his girlfriend. Amelia could hear the exchanges and smirked to herself. When she finally found a dress that she liked, she opened the curtain and Oliver gasped. Kate and Charity each poked their heads out from their dressing rooms and Kate said, "You're getting that, right?"

"Should I?"

"Love, get it and wear it around so I can take it off you," Oliver begged.

"I guess I'm getting it," she joked. Then, she turned to Oliver, "You like it that much?" The dress was black strapless, floor length, and had gold trim.

"You look more beautiful than I've ever seen you," Oliver whispered. "I'd willingly give up quidditch just to see you wearing that dress again."

"I'm just going to go and change and then I'll be right out," she promised. She went back, took the dress off, and put her clothes back on. Then, she joined Oliver on the stool to wait for her friends. Kate and Charity each managed to get dresses, but took longer than Amelia. Kate's dress was pale blue and matched her eyes; Charity opted for a silver halter dress that looked fantastic against her skin.

Once dresses had been purchased, Amelia and Oliver again set off on their own. "I've taken a room at the Three Broomsticks," he said when they were clear.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" she asked. She demanded that Oliver take her to his room and they spent the next several hours alone and naked in his bed. Eventually, though, Amelia had to leave to return to the castle before curfew.

"I'll floo call tomorrow," Oliver promised. He walked her all the way to the castle gates and greeted Professor McGonagall who was checking in students on their return.

"Mr. Wood," said the matron. "It's good to see you."

"It's good to see you, too, Professor," Oliver replied. "Ames, I'll write soon. Love you, princess."

"Love you, too, Ol," Amelia called back as she passed through the gates and onto campus.

"Miss Clark," Professor McGonagall said, "how long have you and Wood been together?"

"Since last year, Professor," Amelia answered. "I hope it will be alright for him to escort me to the Yule Ball."

"I'm sure we can make arrangements for that, Miss Clark," Professor McGonagall promised.

Amelia reached her dormitory just as the others were returning from dinner in the Great Hall. "What did you and Oliver do after we left?" Kate demanded.

"Do you honestly think I'm going to answer that?" Amelia replied, evading the question. It didn't matter; Kate and Charity knew exactly what she and Oliver were doing.

"I don't need her to answer what they were doing," Charity teased. "I need to know where they went. Did they get to the Shrieking Shack?"

"Oliver has a room for the night in Hogsmeade," Amelia answered. "He's leaving tomorrow morning to return to Puddlemere. But, Professor McGonagall said he can come for the Yule Ball and stay in the castle. I'm going to send him an owl tonight letting him know." Amelia left the dormitory and went to the owlery to send Oliver a note.

He received her note and smiled as he read it. Seeing her in her dress earlier had solidified his need to be there for the ball, especially since he refused to tell her about the throngs of girls that were throwing themselves at him in Puddlemere. He didn't want to hurt or alarm Amelia and he knew that telling her would only do both. He had also started considering getting a flat away from the team, but the coaches had advised him against it. He sighed heavily and contemplated trying to sneak back into the castle and somehow get to Amelia again before he left, but decided against it.

The next day, however, Oliver managed to get flowers sent to Amelia at the castle. He wrote the card himself before he left for Puddlemere. When Amelia got the flowers, she smiled, especially when she read the card and realized that Oliver had written it himself. He wrote, _Love you more than quidditch… xoxo Ol_.

Kate stole the card, but could barely make out Oliver's chicken scratch and demanded that Amelia read the card to her and Charity. Amelia giggled, but refused to read the card. Charity snatched it away and read it; then, she pretended to wretch. "That's borderline disgusting," she joked.

"I think it was rather thoughtful," Amelia said, smiling. "And you can't spoil my good mood right now."

"Fair enough," Kate said, rolling her eyes.

When the first task arrived, Amelia went to the arena with the rest of her friends and classmates, sitting with the Gryffindors to support Harry. She also cheered for Cedric when he did well. When she found out the task involved dragons, she was seriously happy that she had not been chosen as a champion.

Oliver read about the first task in the Daily Prophet and was secretly glad that Amelia had not been chosen as a Champion. He sent her a letter with his owl, arranging a floo chat for a few days later. He also wished he could be in the Gryffindor common room to snuggle with her on the sofa in front of the fire…of course, he would never admit that to her or to his teammates who frequently took the mickey out of him for being, as they said, whipped.

When they spoke over the floo, Oliver noticed that Amelia seemed stressed out. "What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," she lied. Truthfully, she had just been feeling sick and really tired, and over-stressed from classes and everything else going on, but she didn't want to burden him. She also didn't want to tell him that the distance was really getting to her, since they hadn't had a face to face visit in over a month.

"It's not a burden," he insisted.

"What?"

"It's not a burden to me if you tell me what's bothering you," he repeated. "I know that's what you're thinking, so just tell me."

"I'm just over tired and stressed and I've been sick lately," she replied.

"How have you been sick?" Oliver was suddenly very nervous, as he had read that sometimes women get sick in the early stages of pregnancy.

"I'm not pregnant, if that's what you're getting at," Amelia answered, calming him. He released the breath that he didn't realize he was holding. "I've had the flu. I think I got sick at the first challenge."

"Then perhaps we should cut this short so you can get some rest," he suggested. "You look tired." She was going to argue, but she yawned loudly and agreed.

"You'll be here on the 24th?" she asked.

"I'll be there and Professor McGonagall wrote that I can stay in the castle in Gryffindor tower. I'll just need to go back with someone who knows the password."

"If you come back to this tower with anyone but me, I'll find ways to make your life miserable," she promised. Oliver laughed and bade her goodnight. Then, she went to bed and skived off classes the next day to sleep in. The next time she floo chatted with Oliver, she was feeling better and in better spirits, but still not her normal self. Oliver noticed, but didn't say anything as he too had been feeling the pressure of the distance.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

By the time December 24th arrived, Amelia was looking forward to seeing Oliver again. Their plan to be in the same room every other week was not working out as she found it difficult to sneak out regularly and he found it difficult to get away regularly. The distance was taking its toll on both of them.

So, at noon, Amelia went to the gates with Professor McGonagall to meet Oliver in person. She saw him apparate into the street and paced nervously until the matron opened the gate for him. She hugged him tightly and he lifted her off the ground a bit. Oliver set her down and Professor McGonagall led them back into the castle.

"Mr. Wood, you'll be in Gryffindor tower in the boys' dormitories for the evening," she said. "It is expected that you will leave tomorrow after breakfast."

"Thank you, Professor," he replied.

Professor McGonagall left them at the main entrance and they walked themselves back to Gryffindor Tower. "So, how is 7th year going?" he asked.

"It's going," she replied. "I miss you, but so far things are going well. I've been accepted into the Healer training program at St. Mungo's for the fall, if I get the right grades in my N.E.W.T.s."

"That's fantastic! Why didn't you tell me?"

"I just found out yesterday and you were coming today," she reasoned. "You're really happy? I'll have to live in London."

"Yes, but London isn't that far from Puddlemere and we can both apparate," he said. "I'm thrilled for you."

"Oliver, we can both apparate now and it's incredibly difficult to get away to see you," she argued.

"Yes, but Ames, you won't have teachers preventing you from leaving and you won't have to ask permission to have me come over for a night," he reasoned. She was not going to give up, so he added, "Look, I came to escort you to a ball, not to fight. We can fight about this later."

"That's the problem, Ol," she whispered. "We don't fight about it later."

"What do you want, Ames?" he asked. "What brought this on?"

"I don't know to both," she said. "Let's just get through tonight and we can fight tomorrow."

Oliver nodded, but didn't say anything further. They went to Gryffindor tower and got ready for the ball, Oliver joining the Weasley Twins in their dormitory for the evening. They noticed that Oliver seemed distant and asked him about it before they allowed him to meet Amelia in the common room. "What's going on, mate?" George asked.

"Nothing, George," Oliver lied.

"Oliver, you know we're not letting you out of here until you spill," Fred pressed. "So, just tell us."

"The distance is killing us," he admitted. "And there's nothing you lot can do to help." With that, Oliver pushed past Fred and George and strode into the common room to wait for Amelia.

While Oliver was in the boys' dormitories with Fred and George, Amelia was evading questions in the girls' dormitory from Kate and Charity. "Ames, you know that we're only going to pester you until you spill. What is going on?" Kate demanded.

"The distance is killing us," Amelia finally answered. "And I don't think there's anything anyone can do about it." She brushed the tear off her cheek and went to the toilet to fix her make-up. Then, she went to the common room where she found Oliver waiting.

He stood as she came down the last few steps. "You're beautiful," he gasped, and he was telling the truth. The dress that she had chosen during their shopping excursion was even more beautiful than Oliver remembered and with her hair and make-up done, she looked more amazing than she had in the shop.

"Thank you," she said, blushing. "Shall we go?" Oliver nodded, offered her his arm, and led her through the portrait.

During dinner, Amelia and Oliver were tense and awkward. Amelia was thankful that they were at a table with 4 other couples so they could join the conversation, but the others seemed to notice the awkwardness between Amelia and Oliver. Between dinner and dessert, Kate stood and said, "Ames, come with me to the toilet."

"Why do you girls go in packs?" Oliver asked.

"Because we can," Charity said. "We won't be long." The three girls went to the toilets, leaving their dates at their table. While they were gone, Kate and Charity set upon Amelia to try to get her and Oliver speaking again.

"I feel like I don't even know him anymore," Amelia said, sadly. "Let's get back." They returned just as dessert was served. After dessert, the dancing started. Oliver invited Amelia to the floor during the first song.

After an hour, he suggested a break. She nodded and followed him off the dance floor. He took them out into the courtyard and hid them inside one of the carriages that were there. "It's not working, is it?" he asked, his voice cracking.

"No," she answered, brushing a tear off her cheek.

"I don't want it to end, Ames," Oliver pled, and for the first time in ages, Amelia appreciated that Oliver was still very young and unsure.

"I don't either, but I don't know how to keep it going, Ol," she replied. He also noticed that she looked pale and thin. Her voice broke and she finally sobbed. Oliver stopped trying not to cry and finally let himself go, too. They sat together in that carriage, crying, until Professor Snape interrupted them and sent them back into the castle.

Oliver considered just leaving that night, but he still had to get back to Gryffindor tower to collect his things. Amelia pulled them into a secret passage on the way back. "I want brutal honesty," she said. "What haven't you told me?"

"I've been propositioned more than once," he admitted. "I said no, and I didn't tell you because I didn't want to hurt you. What haven't you told me?"

"I was asked to the ball by 4 other blokes," she replied. "Obviously I turned them down." Without noticing, Amelia had led them to the Astronomy Tower where they sat, dangling their feet over the edge.

"Why did we stop being honest?"

"Neither of us wanted to hurt the other," she answered. "And I worried that telling you everything would only hurt you. Do you know what the worst thing is?"

"You feel like you've lost your best friend?" he suggested. She nodded. "Me too. What do we do about that?"

"I wish I knew," she replied. She leaned her head on his shoulder and silently cried.

After several minutes, Oliver broke the silence. "This sucks, doesn't it?"

Amelia chuckled and replied, "A bit."

"I've missed that sound," he said; she gave him a quizzical look. "The sound of your laughter; it's really quite fetching, and I've missed it terribly."

"We should get back inside," she suggested. "It's getting quite cold." Oliver nodded and stood, offering Amelia a hand. She took it and let him pull her up. When he pulled, he tugged harder than she had expected and lifted her off the ground. He caught her about the waist and kissed her.

When she broke the kiss, he said, "I've missed that too."

Her eyes searched his for any hint of irony or sarcasm. Finding none, she kissed him again. He had set her down, but when she kissed him again, he lifted her up and moved them so that her back was against the wall. She pushed off from the wall and backed him against the opposite wall. He ran his hands through her hair and she started tugging on his shirt. He broke apart to ask, "Are the quidditch locker rooms still open?"

"Probably," she answered, breathlessly.

He said nothing further, but grasped her hand tightly and led them back through the castle, avoiding a roaming teacher by hiding them behind a statue. When they reached the locker rooms, they found the door was locked. "Bugger," he said in an exaggerated whisper. "This just isn't our night."

Amelia was looking at the ground and thinking that it was probably for the best that they couldn't get into the locker rooms. "We should get back to Gryffindor tower," she said, sadly.

"Ames," Oliver started, but she stopped him by striding off towards the tower. He followed and pled with her on the way. "What the fuck is wrong, Ames?"

"I don't know," she snapped.

"You don't have to tell me, but don't fucking lie to me," Oliver snarled.

"Fine," she yelled. "Do you want to know what's wrong? We were supposed to be fighting and then you kissed me and it was good and it shouldn't have happened."

"Why not? Am I suddenly not allowed to kiss my girlfriend?"

"Am I even your girlfriend? We have barely spoken in weeks, Ol," she argued. "I don't feel like your girlfriend anymore!" She took a deep breath and pulled him into an empty classroom. "Oliver, we just spent the last several hours in awkward silences punctuated by crying fits and right now, I don't even know what we are."

"Amelia, you kissed back," he said, pointedly.

"And I shouldn't have," she replied. Then, she left the classroom and walked back to Gryffindor Tower. Oliver followed her all the way to the common room. "I'm going to bed," she said and made for the stairs to her dormitory.

"Wait!" Oliver called. "Give me just a minute?" She nodded and he ran up the stairs to where his things were, pulling her Christmas present out of his bag. She was waiting when he got back to the common room, though she had taken a seat on the sofa.

"Happy Christmas," he said, sitting next to her and handing her the box.

"You shouldn't have," she said quietly.

"I wanted to," he answered.

"In that case," she replied, "here." She pulled the gift she had bought for him out and handed it to him.

They both sat staring at the presents, but neither opened their gifts, mostly because they both knew that opening them would probably mean the end and neither wanted that moment to come. Oliver finally said, "Are we going to open these?"

"I'm scared that opening it will mean it's really over," she whispered.

"It doesn't have to mean that, Ames," Oliver said, softly. "It could just mean that it's Christmas and I love you and you love me and we bought each other gifts."

"What happens in the morning?" she asked.

"Whatever you want," he promised. "If you really want me to bugger off, I will. Don't get me wrong, I won't be happy about it, but I'll respect what you want."

"Open together?" she asked; he nodded and they counted to 3 and began opening their presents. Oliver had bought Amelia a bracelet with a quaffle charm. "A quaffle?"

"Naturally," he teased.

"It's beautiful. Thank you," she said. He had also given her tickets to a home game over her Easter break.

"You'll come?" he begged.

"Of course," she promised. "No matter what happens, I'll be there."

Amelia gave Oliver a photo album of the 2 of them from the last year and over the summer. "I love it," he said, leafing through the pages.

"I didn't know what to get you," she stammered.

"Ames, it's perfect."

"Were the others back yet when you went upstairs?" she asked.

"Yeah," he sighed. "Fred was drooling and George was drunk and giggling with Lee. Why do you ask?"

"I don't want to sleep alone tonight," she admitted. "And since you're here, I thought I'd take advantage of you."

"Come on," he said. He stood and held his hand out to her, but she declined for the moment.

"I want to change first," she replied. "I'll be back in a mo."

She ran up the stairs to her dormitory and grabbed her pajamas from her bed. Then, she went into the toilet to change from her dress and wash her face. She managed to meet Oliver in the common room without waking anyone in her dormitory and he was back on the sofa when she got there. She grabbed his hand and pulled him off the sofa. Then, he snuck her into the dormitory and closed the curtain around them. She snuggled into the bed while he changed. When he climbed into the (rather tiny) bed, she scooted as close to him as possible.

"Are you knackered?" Oliver asked.

"A bit, but I was thinking about earlier," she replied. "I don't want you to bugger off, but I don't know what I want, either."

"So, I won't bugger off," he promised with a chuckle.

"I've missed that sound," she teased; he gave her a quizzical look. "I like it when you laugh, too. We haven't been laughing enough."

"Can I make a suggestion?" She nodded. "We stay together, even though it's ridiculously tough. You come and stay with me for the rest of your break, if possible, and then stay with me for your Easter holidays too. You can apparate back to my flat tomorrow with me, if McGonagall will let you leave for the rest of the holidays."

"Several days of just us?"

"We'd have to go to my parents' house for Christmas, but after that, yes."

"I'd really like that," she said. "I'd like that more than anything." Oliver kissed her tenderly and pulled her as close as possible. She pulled back and rolled over, pulling Oliver's arm over her before she went to sleep.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

Amelia woke to laughter and deeper voices than she was used to. It took her a moment to remember that she had fallen asleep in bed with Oliver and that they were in the boys' dormitories. She opened her eyes and noticed that the Weasley twins had opened the curtains and were laughing at her and Oliver. "Shut it, you lot, or I'll put you in detention," she warned.

"No you won't," George retorted. "Or, we'll tell Minnie where you spent the night last night."

"Bugger," Oliver groaned. "What time is it?"

"Nearly 11," Lee piped in from behind Fred. "You lot have missed breakfast."

"And I've over-stayed my welcome," Oliver finished.

Oliver got up and pulled Amelia out of bed. "Go and get a bag together for the week while I shower and get dressed." She nodded and trotted off to the girls' dormitory. In her dorm, Amelia put her presents from her friends into a bag, along with clothes and anything else she thought she might need for the rest of the week.

"What are you doing?" Kate asked.

"Packing," Amelia answered. Charity and Kate gave her a look and blocked the door. "Fine. Oliver and I fought, then sort of made up, last night. I fell asleep with him and woke up just now. And he invited me to stay with him in Puddlemere for the rest of the holidays. I'm going, if McGonagall will let me, for the rest of the holidays."

Kate and Charity squealed with delight and offered hugs, and some advice, before finally releasing Amelia to the common room. Oliver was waiting when she arrived. She took his out-stretched hand and followed him out of Gryffindor Tower and into the castle. They found Professor McGonagall, and Professor Dumbledore, in the Great Hall. They explained that they had been up very late and over-slept, which was why Oliver was still in the castle after noon. Then, Amelia asked permission to leave the campus for the rest of the holidays.

"Be sure to return before classes begin on January 2," Professor Dumbledore ordered. She promised to return on time and left with Oliver. Once they left the gates, Oliver grabbed her hand and apparated them to his parents' house in East Kilbride.

"Mum! Dad!" he called. "I'm home!"

"Happy Christmas, son," Edward answered. "We're in the den."

Oliver and Amelia wandered into the den, holding hands. "I was going to ask how the ball was, but I'm guessing it went well?" Jane teased.

"The ball was a bust, but after was rather…" Oliver started.

"Enlightening," Amelia finished. "Happy Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Wood."

"Dear, call me Jane," Jane insisted. "Do your parents know you're not at school?"

"Not entirely," Amelia admitted.

"Mum, don't give her a hard time," Oliver begged. "We need this." Jane nodded and let Oliver and Amelia put their bags away before they opened presents. When they returned to the den, they opened presents and then had tea. After tea, Oliver and Amelia played chess while they listened to the wireless. After several hours, however, they went to bed.

"You alright?" Oliver asked after kissing Amelia good night.

"Yes," she replied. "I remember where everything is."

"They probably wouldn't mind if you were in with me," he suggested.

"I don't want to give them a reason to call my parents," she answered. "It's just for 1 night and then we're in your flat." Oliver nodded, kissed her forehead, and went to bed.

The next morning, Amelia woke early, but lounged in bed until Oliver came to get her. "I'm going for a run before we leave," he said.

"Can I come with you?"

"Of course. I'll just give you a few minutes to get dressed and meet you downstairs?" he offered.

"That would be great," she replied. She changed quickly into her favorite running outfit and brushed her teeth. Finally, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and bounded down the stairs to meet Oliver.

They set out into the chilly December air and ran for nearly an hour. Several times, they made a game and did sprint races. A few times, Amelia won and a few times, Oliver won. They returned to his parents' house after their run and Oliver forced Amelia into the shower first. "I don't want you to get sick, love," he said.

"What about you?" she countered.

"I'll be fine, but the longer we argue, the more likely it is that we'll both get sick," he reasoned. She sighed, but trotted up the stairs to shower and change into warm, dry clothes. While she showered, Oliver had breakfast with his mother, who teased him mercilessly about Amelia. He took it with a smile.

"Be careful, Mum," he joked. "She could be your daughter-in-law one day." Jane gave him a look, but didn't say anything further. Amelia entered the kitchen, shortly after the comment and sent Oliver to get showered and changed.

"Thank you for the gift," Amelia said to Jane. Jane had bought Amelia a lovely jewelry box. "It was very thoughtful."

"You're most welcome, dear," Jane replied. "And thank you for the gifts. Edward especially loved the Gryffindor scarf. I think he's reliving his glory days of Hogwarts." Amelia smiled and sat quietly over her porridge.

"Is everything alright, dear?" Jane asked after several minutes of silence from Amelia and noticing the distant look in the young girl's eyes.

"I hope so," Amelia answered. She wouldn't have said anything further, but Jane insisted. "The distance has been a bit rough."

"I'm sorry to hear that, dear," Jane said. "What does Oliver think about it?" Jane was a little surprised given that Oliver had said he was considering marrying Amelia.

"It's tough for him, too," Amelia answered. "That's why I came home with him for the week. We need the time to us."

"Are you ready?" Oliver asked, startling Amelia.

"Yeah," she answered.

They grabbed their bags, held hands, and apparated to Oliver's flat in Puddlemere. When they arrived, seconds later, they stowed their bags in Oliver's bedroom. He turned to her and asked, "What would you like to do now?"

"What is there to do around here?"

"Usually, I'm at the stadium for practice, or reading. It's not exciting, but it's my life when you're not around," he said. "If you were at Hogwarts, what would you be doing now?"

"Probably watching the snow fall from my dormitory," she replied. "Kate and Charity would be off snogging their boyfriends and I'd be alone."

"You could snog your boyfriend," he offered, with a smirk. She smiled and sat on Oliver's bed next to him. He leaned over and kissed her. He laid them back on his bed and snaked his hand under her shirt to play with her breasts. He tugged her shirt up and pulled it over her head. He pulled his own shirt off and tossed both shirts across the room. He kissed at her neck and chest. He pulled off her trousers and, while she had reservations about sex, Amelia didn't stop Oliver when he pulled off his own trousers and tossed them aside. She didn't stop him when he drew his wand and cast a contraceptive charm, and she didn't stop him when he made love to her.

It wasn't until an hour later when she woke in Oliver's bed and he was snoring beside her that she fully regretted that she had slept with him in the first place. She wiggled out of his grasp and pulled on his discarded shirt, since it was the closest article of clothing to her; then she found her knickers and pulled them on. She went to the sitting room and sat in a chair by the window, watching a light snowfall.

Oliver woke not long after Amelia got up. He pulled on his trousers and went to the sitting room, finding her in the chair, staring out at the snow. "Something's broken, isn't it?" he asked, startling her.

"That's the second time you've startled me today," she accused.

"And you didn't answer my question," he countered.

"I don't know," she said. "I wish it wasn't." She brushed a tear off her cheek, and returned to staring out the window. Oliver took a seat on his sofa and put his head in his hands.

"Do you regret it?" he asked, voice choking with emotion.

"I don't regret a single moment I've spent with you, Oliver," she promised. She crossed over and sat with him on the sofa. She shivered, so he pulled a quilt off the back of the sofa and put it around her shoulders.

"What happens now?" he asked after a long silence.

"I don't know," she answered. "I could go back to Hogwarts if you want."

"Stay," he begged. "At least, stay for tonight. If you want, you can go back tomorrow, but I'd really like you to stay until New Year's." She nodded. He leaned back on the sofa and she curled up next to him.

"What do you suppose happened?" she asked.

"We grew apart," he replied, gently stroking her arm. "Neither of us wanted it to happen, but it did."

"It's been so awkward, hasn't it? The last few days?" she said, no longer trying to hide her tears.

"Yeah," he breathed. "I didn't want it to be." He no longer tried not to cry.

They sat on the sofa for hours, finally falling asleep. When they woke, Oliver suggested getting something to eat. "I don't have food in the house, though," he said. "I'm going to have to take you out."

"Sure, but we should probably both put more clothes on," she teased, and he laughed. "It's true. You've got no shirt and I've got no trousers."

"Then we'll be very cold if we don't each put more clothes on," he joked. "Come on. Let's go." He jumped off the sofa, sending her tumbling to the floor, and causing him to laugh even harder. She tried to look angry, but eventually succumbed to laughter.

They managed to get dressed and Oliver took her hand and led her to the street. "Where are we going?" she asked.

"There's a decent pub around the corner," he answered. She nodded and followed him down the street and into the pub. They took a seat in a booth and each ordered fish and chips and a beer. They sat in silence while they waited. Once their food was delivered, they ate quickly. Oliver paid the bill and they left.

"Can we just take a walk?" Amelia asked as they neared Oliver's flat.

"Of course," Oliver answered. They wandered around for several minutes in nearly total silence.

"I'm scared, Ol," Amelia finally said.

"What are you scared of?" he asked.

"It's hard to explain," she answered. "I just… I don't know." They had stopped at a park near Oliver's flat and taken seats on benches (which Oliver had cleared with his wand). Oliver put his arm around Amelia's shoulder and pulled her to his side.

"You know you can tell me anything, right?" She nodded.

"What if I'm not sure about being a healer?" she asked. "What if I'm bad at it or I just don't like it?"

"You don't have to be a healer," he said, plainly.

"Then what should I be? I have no idea what I want to do with my life," she cried. "I just wish I knew."

"This isn't like you," he reasoned. "What is really going on?"

"I know it's not like me but I don't know what's going on either," she answered. "Can we go back to yours now?" Oliver nodded, stood, and offered her a hand. Then, he helped her up and led her back to his flat.

"Sleeping arrangements," he said when they got inside. "You can have my bed and if you want, I'll take the sofa."

"I don't think I want to sleep alone tonight," she said, sadly. He nodded and they changed into pajamas and climbed into his bed. However, neither was able to sleep.

After an hour, Oliver whispered, "Are you awake?"

"Yeah," she answered. "I can't sleep. You?"

"Same," he replied. He rolled onto his side so that he was facing her and she mimicked his movements. "I don't want you to leave until the end of your break."

"Okay," she said. She had been hoping that he would say that because she knew that she would get back to school and be ignored by Kate and Charity as they pursued their boyfriends. She also knew that she wanted to spend as much time with Oliver as possible before their relationship ended.

"That was too easy," he accused. "What has you so upset?"

"It's nothing," she protested, but Oliver refused to let her off that easy and insisted that she spill. "It's just that I've been really lonely this year. Kate and Charity have boyfriends and they're always out snogging them or shagging them, leaving me alone most of the time. I think that's one of the reasons I've been so annoyed at the whole distance thing, because if you were there, I wouldn't be alone."

Oliver rubbed her arm gently. "I'm sorry I can't be there every day, love," he promised. "I really want to be and as much as the distance sucks and things seem broken right now, I don't want us to end. Please, while you're here, just give it some thought?"

"Sure," she promised. "But, I don't want you to miss out on having a life because of me. You should be out with your friends, flirting with girls who toss their knickers at you."

"I don't want to flirt with girls, especially not the ones who toss their knickers at me," he said, truthfully. "You're the only girl I want to flirt with." Amelia, in a moment of levity, took her pillow and smacked Oliver in the head. "Hey!" he shouted. "What was that?" She did it again. Then, he got in and smacked her with his pillow.

Their pillow fight soon turned to a wrestling match which ended when Oliver pinned Amelia to the bed. They were both breathing heavily and unsure of what to do. Oliver waited because he didn't want to make the first move. Amelia considered everything very quickly and realized that, in spite of everything, she really loved Oliver. "I love you," she whispered, caressing his face.

"I love you, too," he replied, still holding himself above her. She pulled his head down and kissed him. He didn't need encouragement to kiss back and they sunk into it.

After several minutes of heated snogging, Oliver pulled back. "Perhaps we should stop," he suggested.

"Why should we stop?" she protested.

"After this afternoon, I'm not sure we should go any further," he answered, truthfully. She mulled it over and silently agreed that stopping was probably for the best. She snuggled into Oliver and went to sleep.

The next day Amelia woke alone, but found Oliver in the kitchen. "I'm trying to make you breakfast," he said. She laughed because he had flour in his hair and batter on his nose. "What's so funny?"

"You've got flour in your hair and batter on your nose," she giggled. "It's really quite fetching." He made to wipe it off, but Amelia stepped in and kissed the batter off his nose. "So, about this breakfast," she said, swiping the bowl from Oliver's hand. "It looks as though you could use some help."

Amelia took the bowl and spoon from Oliver and set to finishing breakfast. She noticed that it appeared as though Oliver had gone shopping very early. "Did you go to market this morning?" she asked.

"Yeah," Oliver answered. "I didn't have any food in the house worth eating, so I got up early and snuck out. Then, I was getting ready to cook when you got up."

"Have you ever made pancakes before?" she teased.

"Yes," he answered, smugly. She swatted at him with a spatula while she poured the batter into a skillet.

"Were you successful?"

"No," he admitted. "The last time I made pancakes was a total disaster, but in all fairness, I was only 7."

She laughed and said, "What did your parents do?"

"They took away my broom rights for a day, but since it was for mum's birthday, they weren't too hard on me," he promised.

After breakfast, Amelia showered and changed into clothes and then insisted that Oliver take her to London for a bit. "We spent most of yesterday holed up in here. I think we should do something fun." Oliver agreed and they went and spent most of the day in London. They returned after dinner and snuggled on the sofa for several hours before going to bed.

The rest of the days were spent in much the same fashion. On New Year's Eve, Amelia and Oliver went to the pub for a party, where they met some of Oliver's teammates. He introduced Amelia to everyone as his "love."

"She's pretty, Oliver," said Summer Staunton, one of the Puddlemere reserve chasers.

"I've noticed," Oliver replied. Amelia snuggled into Oliver's side, feeling terribly shy around his entire team. Eventually, she warmed up to them and learned that they were all really cool. In fact, she was sure that if she knew some of them, Summer in particular, when they were at Hogwarts, they would have been friends.

There were drinks, and a band playing. Amelia was even able to get Oliver to dance with her. At midnight, Oliver turned to Amelia and kissed her soundly. "Happy New Year, babe," he whispered when they broke apart.

"Can we go home now?" she asked. "It's just that since it's my last night, I want it to be special."

"Let's go," Oliver said. They bade goodbye to the rest of the crowd that had gathered and left the bar. In the alley, Oliver apparated them directly to his flat.

Once they were alone, Amelia kissed Oliver soundly and tugged on his shirt. He paused, "Are you sure?"

"Yes, now shut up and kiss me," she ordered. Oliver laughed, but complied; she finished removing his shirt and he pulled hers over her head. They were tossed somewhere in the hallway as they stumbled towards Oliver's bedroom. Their shoes and pants soon followed, again being tossed in the hallway as they continued their journey to the bedroom.

An hour later, Amelia and Oliver were spent and sweaty, curled up in his bed. "I'm going to miss you tomorrow," he said sadly, kissing her shoulder.

"Me too," she replied. "But, the good news is that it's your off season and we will have a Hogsmeade weekend in 2 weeks. Then, there'll be the Valentine's weekend in February, and in April, I'll be here for the entire break. I'm not even bothering with the train. I'll just apparate from Hogsmeade."

"You're very smart," he teased.

"I know," she said. "The hat considered placing me in Ravenclaw."

"I'm glad it sent you to Gryffindor," he mused. "Otherwise, we might never have met."

Amelia smiled in the darkness, but snuggled closer to Oliver and sighed contentedly. She felt Oliver's smirk against her shoulder. "Love you," she whispered.

"Love you, too," he replied.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

The next day, Amelia rose earlier than Oliver. She grabbed one of Oliver's shirts, since they hadn't bothered with pajamas, and pulled it on. She then went to the kitchen and was making breakfast when Oliver rose. He pulled on some pajama pants and snuck into the kitchen while she was oblivious and was standing right behind her. "Morning, love," he said, startling her.

"You really need to work on not scaring the life out of me," she scolded. "But, good morning. Breakfast?"

"Mmm-hmmm," he hummed against her neck.

"Keep that up and I'll burn the eggs," she teased. He backed off while she finished cooking and then helped with the dishes when they finished eating.

"Is that my shirt?" he asked when he finally noticed what she was wearing.

"Yeah," she answered. "What are you going to do to get it back?" She gave him a challenge and he accepted it…reaching to grab her about the waist. She scampered away, but he caught her in the sitting room. He tackled her to the sofa, both laughing loudly, and started pulling the shirt over her head.

Once Oliver removed the shirt Amelia was wearing, she looked at him and said, "You have a distinct clothing advantage. I'm going to have to remedy that." She was pinned beneath him on the sofa while he was holding her hands above his head, so she used her feet to push his pajama bottoms down.

"You're quite creative," he teased.

"I've been told, but at least now we're even on the clothing front." Oliver laughed with Amelia and agreed that they were even. Then, he leaned down and kissed her deeply. She kissed back, and soon enough, the lack of clothing was a time saver.

When they were finished shagging, Oliver suggested a shower together; Amelia agreed. After their shower, Amelia got dressed and went to packing her belongings in her bag to return to Hogwarts. "Do you have everything?" Oliver asked.

"Yeah," she promised. "If I've forgotten anything, you can send it along. We'll floo chat tonight?"

"Of course," he replied. "I'll want to make sure you've made it back safely. Now, kiss me goodbye for a long time." She chuckled, but complied and kissed him goodbye for as long as she dared.

"I'll see you in 13 days," she said. "And we're talking again tonight."

"We'll floo chat every night," he promised. "And I want you to tell me everything, even if you think it doesn't matter to me, because it does matter to me."

"Love you," she said.

"Love you, too," he replied. Then, with a crack, she apparated back to Hogsmeade.

When Amelia returned to the castle, she was greeted by Professor McGonagall. "I trust you had a good break," the matron said.

"I did, thank you," Amelia replied. "And thank you, again, for letting Oliver come for the Yule Ball."

"Will he be here for the next Hogsmeade weekend?"

"Of course, Professor," Amelia replied. "He'll be here for every Hogsmeade weekend and I'll be with him for the Easter holidays." Professor McGonagall smiled and sent Amelia on her way.

She returned to Gryffindor Tower and was greeted, loudly, by the Weasley twins. "AMES!" shouted George. "How was your holiday?"

"Good, George," she replied. "How was it here?"

"Smashing," Fred replied. "Positively cracking."

Amelia laughed and went to return her bags to her dormitory, where Kate and Charity were waiting for her. "So, how was it?" Charity demanded as soon as she walked in.

"Hello to you, too, Charity," Amelia teased. "It was good; it was what we needed."

"What was that?" Kate asked.

"I needed to remind myself why I liked him to begin with and, then, I needed to remind myself that I really love him," Amelia answered. "It's hard being away, but he's worth it." The group went into the Gryffindor common room, acquired the twins and their friend, Lee Jordan, and went to dinner.

"So, Ames," Fred started.

"Has Ollie professed his undying love yet?" George finished.

"None of your business," Amelia answered, face blazing.

"We'll take that as a yes," Fred teased; he nudged her with his elbow. She simply glared while finishing her dinner. While they ate, the lads kept trying to get more details out of Amelia, but she refused to tell them anything, especially since she didn't want Oliver to think she would willingly tell the Weasley twins anything about their relationship without his permission.

After dinner, she had rounds with Cedric. They met in the Great Hall. "Did you have a good holiday?" Cedric asked.

"Yeah," Amelia answered. "It was better after I went to Oliver's on Christmas Day, though. How was yours? Did you have fun at the ball?"

"It was a good holiday and the Yule ball was lots of fun," he said, smiling. "But I didn't see you there."

"Oliver and I were fighting," she explained. "We left early and were in a carriage when Professor Snape tossed us. Then, we went to the Astronomy Tower and I thought we had broken up for a bit."

"What was wrong?" Cedric looked worried.

"The distance has been difficult," Amelia said. "We both knew it would be, but I guess we didn't anticipate it being that difficult. We decided that we should spend some time alone and see if we could work it out."

"I'm guessing you could," he interjected.

"Yes, but not without a lot of gnashing of teeth," she said. They found a couple of Slytherins lurking outside the Ravenclaw common room and sent them on their way. Once rounds were finished, Amelia returned to the Gryffindor common room. She waited on the sofa while the room cleared out and was nearly dozing when Oliver's head popped into the fireplace.

"Wakey wakey!" he teased.

"Shut it," she replied. "You kept me up late last night and then we were up early this morning."

"Do you miss me yet?"

"Of course," she promised. "I told you that I'll miss you every day until I see you again. How many days is it?"

"13, but it will be 12 tomorrow," he answered. "But who's counting?"

"Who's counting?" she repeated. "Can I be serious for a minute?"

"Of course," he said.

"I'm really glad we made up," she stated, quietly.

"Me too," he replied. "And I'm glad to see you smiling again. I missed that."

"Me too," she answered. "So, how much crap will you get from your team tomorrow?"

"Not as much as you think," he said. "Particularly since I don't have training tomorrow."

They spoke for a long while before Amelia declared that it was time for her to stop monopolizing the fire in the common room. "I'll speak to you tomorrow," Oliver promised. "Love you, babe."

"Love you, too," she answered. She blew a kiss at his face in the fire and bade him goodnight.

Over the next 2 weeks, they floo chatted every day until the next visit to Hogsmeade. On a few occasions, she was lucky to avoid detention for falling asleep in class after speaking with Oliver long into the night.

Soon enough, however, the day of the next Hogsmeade weekend arrived. It was cold, but Amelia didn't seem to notice on the walk to the gates. Oliver was waiting, bundled against the cold, but holding a bunch of flowers for her. "Daisies," she said.

"Your favorite," he replied. She nodded and leapt into his arms. He kissed her soundly before setting her down. Kate and Charity, who were passing, feigned being sickened by the sight, and Amelia shot them a rude gesture.

"So, did you catch a lot of crap from your teammates yet?" Amelia asked as she and Oliver walked down the street, holding hands.

"We haven't had practice in a while," he answered. "I'm sure I'll catch crap when we start back up in a few weeks. Now, where to?"

"It doesn't matter to me as long as we're together and alone," she teased.

"In that case," Oliver smirked. He tugged on her hand and led her down several streets to the edge of town. Then, noticing a few people where he was heading, he made an abrupt turn. Amelia, not prepared for the turn, slipped on the ice and twisted her ankle.

"Oi!" she shouted. "Watch it, Wood!" Oliver paled when he noticed that she had fallen and scooped her up into his arms. He carried her to the Three Broomsticks and insisted on getting her a butterbeer to warm her up.

"You know you didn't have to carry me here," she teased when he returned from the bar.

"It was nice to hold you again," he admitted.

"Romantic sod," she teased.

"Have you heard from your brothers again?" he joked; she nodded. "And?"

"They hate you, naturally," she said. "They're fairly certain I could do better."

"You probably could," he mused.

"Probably," she joked. "It's a good thing you're cute; otherwise, I might find someone better."

"Thanks," he laughed.

Once the butterbeers were finished, Amelia and Oliver wandered around Hogsmeade until it was time for her to get back. He walked her to the gates to the castle and kissed her for as long as he dared. "I'll talk to you tomorrow," he promised.

"I'll look forward to it," Amelia replied. Oliver smiled and waved goodbye; then, he apparated back to Puddlemere.

Amelia and Oliver were able to keep up their nightly floo chats for a few more weeks, but, once again, life got in the way and calls were missed. Oliver kept his promised and showed up for the Valentine's Day visit to Hogsmeade. Again, Oliver had taken a room at the Three Broomsticks, and again, they spent the entire day in his room.

The owls were exchanged more frequently than the floo chats, which made up for some of the missed calls, but that didn't stop Amelia from being annoyed. On Fred's and George's birthday, a massive party was thrown in Gryffindor tower. Harry Potter and Cedric were still leading the Triwizard Tournament, after both performed well in the second task, and the twins were coming of age.

A few hours into the party, Amelia found herself in a corner, very drunk, and alone. She was lamenting the fact that she hadn't heard from Oliver in a few days when Henry Adams, a 7th year Ravenclaw, plunked down beside her. "How did you get in here?" she demanded.

"I got the password from a friend of mine. Why are you alone in a corner?" he replied.

"I choose to be," she answered, trying to ignore the fact that he was flirting heavily with her.

She tried to turn away from him, but he grabbed her face and kissed her. For a few seconds, she didn't know what to do. Then, the alcohol took over, and she kissed back. It took her nearly half a minute to push back. When she did break free, she ran up to her dormitory.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Amelia woke the morning after the party to the pecking of an owl, Oliver's owl, on her window. She grudgingly got out of bed to get the letter, trying to ignore the blistering headache that she had thanks to several firewhiskeys. She took the letter and gave the bird a treat. "Great," she thought. "Just bloody fantastic."

She pulled a sweater on and went to the common room to read the letter alone before her roommates woke up. Oliver wrote that he missed her and would floo call her that night and asked her to be in the common room at 10:00. She was about to head back to her dormitory when she heard Fred from the stairs. "Morning, love," he said. "Interesting night last night?"

"Happy birthday, Fred," she said, ignoring the question.

"Do you want to talk about it?" he asked. He sat next to her on the sofa and put his arm around her shoulders.

"No," she said. She leaned into Fred and put her head on his shoulder.

"Are you going to tell Oliver?"

"I don't know," she answered. "Should I?"

"I'm probably not the best moral compass for you," he joked. "But, look, it was a kiss that lasted all of 20 seconds and really it looked more like that Ravenclaw bloke just slobbered on your cheek."

"If it was your girlfriend, would you want to know?" she asked.

"That depends on whether it meant something to her," he replied. "If it did, I think she'd have to tell me. If it didn't mean anything to her, I wouldn't want to know." She nodded and Fred left her alone.

Throughout the day, Amelia was quiet. She hid out in the library, with the excuse that she had homework to do. Cedric joined her in the library after lunch. "What's got you all quiet?" he asked.

"Something happened last night," she answered. "And I'm not sure what to do about it."

"What happened?"

"We had a party for the twins and I got drunk," she started. "Then, I got kissed by some Ravenclaw bloke."

"Have you told Oliver?"

"We have a floo chat tonight and I'm not sure what to tell him," she said. "I kissed back and I feel like I've cheated on him."

"If he did the same thing, would you want him to tell you?" he asked.

"I don't know," she replied. "I love Oliver, but I'm worried that if I don't tell him, someone else will and he'll be even angrier. But if it was me, I'm not sure I'd want to know if he didn't have any intention of seeing her again, or kissing her again."

"When do you see him again?" Cedric asked.

"We have a floo chat tonight and then I'm going to his flat for the Easter holidays," she answered. "We meant to spend the week together and he got me tickets to a Quidditch match during the break for Christmas."

"Easter holidays are only a few days away," Cedric started. "Perhaps you should wait to tell him until you see him and then, you can decide if it's really necessary."

"Thanks, Ced," Amelia said. "I should get back to my commons. He's supposed to call soon." Cedric gave her a small wave and she walked back to Gryffindor tower.

During their floo chat that day, and the next one they had a few days later, Oliver noticed that Amelia seemed more reserved than normal, but he didn't say anything. He also seemed distant to her, but she didn't ask him either. "So, I'll be there on Saturday," she said at the end of the conversation. "What time would be best for me to arrive?"

"Anytime," he answered. "I'll be home all day. If anything changes, like an emergency practice or something, I'll leave a key over the door."

"Okay," she replied. "I'll see you Saturday, then."

"Love you," he said.

"Love you, too." Oliver's head popped out of the fire and Amelia went back to her dormitory.

Saturday dawned with a cold front and the sky was gray and cloudy. Amelia felt nervous glancing at the sky as she walked across the grounds to Hogsmeade. She had decided to leave school just after breakfast. Once she got to the High Street in Hogsmeade, she apparated to Oliver's flat in Puddlemere.

When she arrived, Oliver was out, having been called in to an early practice. She let herself in with the key that he left for her and put her bag in his room. Then, she sat on the sofa with a book to wait. She had been having trouble sleeping, so she drifted off. She was woken by Oliver returning from practice, sweaty and dirty.

"Morning, love," he said, nudging her.

"Hey," she said, sitting up. "I didn't mean to fall asleep."

"It's alright," he promised. "You've been busy with school and everything. So, I'm going to shower, since I left the stadium before I could. Care to join me?"

"I'm fine, but you should go and I'll make tea," she said.

"I'd prefer if you join me," he teased, stripping off his shirt and tossing it at her. Then, he marched over to her, kissed her, and threw her over his shoulder. She was smacking him on the back, but they were both giggling. When he reached his room, he dropped her onto his bed.

"I thought you were going to take a shower," she teased, when he plopped onto his bed next to her.

"I am, but not before I do this." He leaned over and kissed her soundly. He stroked her side while she ran her hands through his hair. She scratched her nails down his back and he tugged on her shirt. They broke the kiss so that Oliver could pull Amelia's shirt over her head and toss it across the room.

Before Oliver could kiss Amelia anymore, she pushed back and said, "Shower!"

"Come with me," he pled. She nodded and let him pull her up. After their shower, Oliver and Amelia fell back into his bed where they shagged until they were exhausted. When they finished, they took a nap.

Amelia woke first and slipped out of bed. She pulled on a shirt and some knickers and went into the bathroom. She didn't understand why, but she started to cry. She sat on the edge of the tub, nearly sobbing, and trying to calm down for several minutes. When she finally settled enough to stop crying, she returned to Oliver's living room, taking up her favorite seat on the window sill.

Oliver woke alone and confused. Something was nagging at him, a sinking feeling that all was not right. He had asked Amelia if everything was alright and she assured him that it was, but he didn't necessarily believe her. When he realized she wasn't in bed with him, he pulled on some clothes and went looking for her. He found her, gazing out the window like she always did when she was troubled.

"What's bothering you?" he asked, making her jump.

"You've really got to stop sneaking up on me," she ordered.

"You've got to be more observant," he suggested. "And you haven't answered my question. What's bothering you?"

"It's nothing," she promised.

"Don't lie, Ames," he said. "You at least owe me the truth."

"It's been a rough couple of weeks," she finally answered. "I've had a couple more job and training offers and I'm still not sure what I want to do."

"That's not everything." Oliver made a statement rather than asked a question, but they both knew he was right. Amelia was still fighting within herself over whether to tell him about the kiss at the twins' birthday party.

Oliver sighed and finally suggested that they get dressed and get something to eat. Amelia nodded, and moved silently. When they were ready, Oliver led them to a small diner near his flat and got them a booth in the corner. They both ordered something to eat and sat in an awkward silence until the waitress returned. "This is almost worse than Christmas. Will you just tell me what is wrong?" Oliver said.

"I can't say it here," Amelia replied. "We should wait until we get back."

Oliver tossed some money onto the table and grabbed her hand. He dragged her to an alley and apparated them back to his flat. "We're alone now. Tell me what is going on."

"I went to the twins' birthday party," she explained. "There was a lot of firewhiskey there. I was hiding in a corner, ignoring everyone when this bloke, Henry Adams, from Ravenclaw sat next to me. He kissed me."

"Is that everything?" Oliver asked; if he was honest, if that was it he would be fine.

"I kissed back," she replied. "It was only for a second and then I pushed him away and ran." She had tears streaming down her face.

Oliver was fighting tears and finally stormed off to his bedroom. He quickly changed into running gear and left her sitting on the sofa while he stormed out into the fading afternoon light. Amelia didn't know what to do, so she wrote Oliver a note and apparated back to her parents' house in Leeds.

"Dear, I thought you were staying at school," Camilla said when Amelia arrived.

"I lied about that," she replied. "I'm sorry, but I went to Oliver's and I don't think it's going to work out." She burst into tears and her mother just pulled her into a hug, doing everything she could to soothe her. Amelia was nearly inconsolable.

When she finally settled some, Camilla pulled her into the den and sat her down. "Tell me everything," she ordered. And Amelia did. She spilled about everything from sneaking around all summer to the party in Gryffindor tower for the Twins' birthday; she spared almost no details.

There was a long silence when Amelia finished speaking. "I'm not going to lie and tell you everything will be alright, Amelia," Camilla said finally. "I will tell you that it will get easier. What did Oliver do when you told him about the party?"

"He got quiet, looked like I had just punched him in the gut, and then he went running. He didn't yell or say anything at all. I really hurt him," she finished.

"Does he know where you are?"

"I left him a note, Mum," Amelia promised. "You raised me better than to just run off."

Almost as soon as the words were out of Amelia's mouth, she heard the familiar _pop_ that signaled that someone had just apparated. She knew who was there before Oliver knocked on the door. She opened the door. "You left," he accused.

"You ran," she fired back.

"I had to blow off some aggression," he explained. "What happened to us?"

"I don't know." It wasn't much, but at least Amelia was telling the truth.

"Is it really over?" he asked.

"I think it needs to be," she replied. "At least while I'm still in school. Neither of us knows how to do this long distance and it's been killing us all year." She asked Oliver to wait in the sitting room and went to her room where she retrieved the Quidditch tickets he had bought her for Christmas.

When she returned, she handed the tickets to Oliver and said, "It's not right for me to keep these. You should have them back."

"You don't have to," he said. "They were a gift to you. You should use them."

"With whom? My muggle parents or brothers?" she reasoned. "Take your dad."

They sat quietly for a long time until Oliver said, "I'm going to miss you."

"Me too," she promised. "I've missed you every day, but it's not fair to either one of us to keep beating this dead horse." She led Oliver to the door, gave him a last hug and quick kiss on the cheek. Then, he turned and apparated back to Puddlemere.

When Amelia returned to school at the end of the week, her friends were waiting for her. "So, how was the week? Lots of sex?" Charity asked.

"We broke up," Amelia answered. She climbed onto her bed, pulled the curtains closed and ignored Kate and Charity's pleading for an explanation, crying herself to sleep.

Classes resumed the day after Amelia got back and she continued to ignore the pestering from her friends to explain what had happened with Oliver. She didn't want to explain it to them; she felt it would cheapen what she and Oliver had. Because of that, however, she felt the loneliest she ever had and started counting the days to graduation.

One night, a few days before the final task, she was doing rounds with Cedric. "Are you o.k., Amelia?" he asked.

"No," she answered. "I haven't been o.k. for a while."

"What's wrong?"

"A lot of things," she explained. "Oliver and I broke up and I've never felt lonelier. I have no idea what I want to do when I graduate, except that I know I don't want to keep living with my parents."

"What about healer training?" Cedric asked.

"I'm just not sure. I've been offered training spots at St. Mungo's and with a few Quidditch teams, but I don't know," she said. By the time she finished, she was crying. Cedric pulled her to the nearest bench and sat her down, throwing his arm around her shoulders. She leaned her head on his shoulder and cried until she fell asleep. Cedric didn't want to wake her, so he picked her up and carried her to Gryffindor tower.

"Ames, you're going to have to wake up," he said when they reached the portrait. "I don't know the password."

"It's Mimbulus Mimbletonia," she muttered. Cedric said the password to the Fat Lady and carried her into the common room, where he laid her on the sofa and covered her with a throw blanket. He gained several glares from Gryffindors, but the twins noticed what was going on and sent everyone off.

"Thanks for bringing her back, Cedric," George said. "Is she alright?"

"I don't know," Cedric answered, truthfully. "She cried for a while and we didn't entirely finish our rounds, but by the time she stopped crying, she had fallen asleep." Fred and George nodded, and saw Cedric out of the tower.

Amelia woke on the sofa where Cedric had left her. George crept up on her and suggested a walk. "So, I hear your life has been pretty shit lately," he said.

"That's about right," she replied.

"What can I do?" he asked.

"There's nothing you can do, George," she assured him. "At least, there's nothing you can do that you're not already doing."

A few days later, Amelia joined the rest of the school at the Quidditch pitch for the third, and final, task in the Tri-Wizard Tournament. She cheered with her housemates for Harry and Cedric, but she screamed when she saw Harry Potter exit the maze with Cedric's lifeless body. She had been sitting with the twins, and they each wrapped her in their arms while she screamed.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The end of term feast, which was normally a joyous occasion, was the saddest event that Amelia ever attended at Hogwarts. Instead of the normally colorful banners depicting which House won the House Cup that year, the banners were all black. Even Professor Dumbledore's speech was drenched in sadness.

After the ceremony, Amelia spent some time with her friends, who had agreed to keep their boyfriends at bay for a while. They sat under an oak tree by the lake where Amelia told them everything about Oliver. When she finished her story, she was crying, and Charity made a suggestion. "We're done with school now, Ames. Why don't you write or visit him?"

"I'm the one that cheated," Amelia argued. "He doesn't want to see me."

"How do you know unless you try," Kate reasoned. "At least write him. If he doesn't respond, you'll have your answer." Amelia nodded and went to get parchment and an owl to write to Oliver. Her letter detailed how sorry she was that she had hurt him, how much she missed him, and asked him to write back. She sent it off, but didn't expect a reply. She went home that day and her parents held a celebration dinner at their house. She had accepted a position at St. Mungo's, and so she and her mother made plans to travel to London to find a flat.

Oliver had been missing Amelia terribly since April. He had taken his father to the Quidditch match, just as she had suggested and afterwards, broke down over a pint and told his father everything. His father had suggested that he write to her, but he didn't.

He read the papers the day after the Tri-Wizard Tournament and was never happier that Amelia had not been chosen as a Champion when he read that Cedric Diggory had been killed during the final task. He, again, considered writing to Amelia, and, again, chickened out at the last minute…which made him quite surprised when an unfamiliar owl pecked on his window and dropped off a letter from Amelia.

Oliver read that letter at least a dozen times, puzzling over what to do with hit. He looked at his calendar and noticed that Amelia would have come home from school 2 days earlier. After his practice that day, he apparated to Leeds and knocked on her door. "Is Amelia home?" he asked her father.

"She's in London with her mother," Joseph answered. "They're staying in Knightsbridge." Oliver nodded and went to leave.

Just as Oliver was preparing to apparate, her father called his name. "Don't mess her about, son," Joseph ordered. "I've never seen her like she was in April." Oliver didn't say anything. He simply nodded and apparated to London. He wandered around the city for several hours, but couldn't find Amelia.

She had gone apartment shopping with her mother and, once they found her a small flat near St. Mungo's, they went looking for furniture. "Mum, thank you," Amelia said. "For everything. I know I've been a pain in your arse and that I've hurt you and Dad and I'm really sorry."

"Sweetheart, you're our daughter and nothing you could do will ever stop us from loving you," Camilla promised. "Now, have you heard from Oliver?"

"No," she replied. "I sent him a letter just before leaving school, but I haven't heard anything back. I guess I really blew it."

"I'm sorry dear," Camilla said. Neither of them spotted Oliver across the street, and he did not see them.

When Amelia and her mother returned home the next day, her Dad asked if they had seen Oliver. "Why would we, Dad?" Amelia asked.

"Dear, he stopped here looking for you yesterday," Joseph explained. "I told him that you and your mother had gone to London to find a flat for you." Amelia nodded and went to her room, hoping to find an owl with a letter from Oliver. She was disappointed to find nothing there.

A week later, Amelia's parents traveled with her to London and set her up in her new flat. She would be close enough to walk to St. Mungo's, where she would be training for work as a healer.

Her first day of training was a disaster. She worried that a few times she did more harm than good and the healer she was assigned to work with, Healer Vance Jameson, was incredibly harsh. He frequently yelled at her and she was near tears by the lunch break.

During her lunch break, she sat alone in the cafeteria, rethinking her choice to accept the position at St. Mungo's. She was just about to leave when someone sat at her table with her. "I'm Dylan Ford," he said. "And you are?"

"Amelia Clark," she answered. "And I'm just about to leave."

"Pity," he said. "Who's your trainer?"

"Jameson," she replied. He grimaced and she smiled for the first time that day.

"Sorry about that," Dylan said. "You shouldn't put too much stock in anything he says. He's that big of an ass to all of the new trainees for the first week. Stick it out, and you'll be fine."

"Thanks," she said. "I'm really glad I met you." She wandered away considering the mysterious man who had sat with her at lunch. She'd be lying if she said he wasn't cute, but she was also sure that she shouldn't date him.

A few weeks went by and Amelia still had not heard from Oliver. As the summer trudged along with a terrible heat wave, she found herself spending more time with Dylan. He had become one of her best friends in the healer training program, although she had become friends with some of her other classmates. On the last Friday in July, Dylan approached Amelia as she was getting ready to leave. "So, I was wondering if you wanted to join some of us at pub tonight," he said.

"Who are some of us?" Amelia asked.

"Me, Jack, Emma, and Kate," he replied. "We're going for a drink. You should come with us."

"Yeah, alright," she answered. "I'm just about done here." She grabbed her bag and followed Dylan out into the London heat. They walked to a nearby pub and joined the others at a table. Amelia had a great time and considered agreeing to dinner with Dylan for dinner the next night.

"I really don't think I can," she said, finally. "I'm sorry, but I don't think so."

"Fair enough, love," Dylan said, sadly. "I'll just have to find another way to get you to snog me." She raised an eyebrow and laughed at him, but sort of wanted to snog him. She bade them all good night and went home soon after that.

The following Monday, Amelia was busy with patients when she was, again, approached by Dylan. He, again, asked her out and she finally agreed. "Fine, but after this date you have to promise to stop bothering me," she ordered. He nodded and smirked as he walked away.

He took her out to a small Italian bistro the next night and she really enjoyed his company. After dinner, he walked her home and kissed her on the stoop. "I'll see you tomorrow," she promised.

"Will I get another date?" he asked, flirting more than a little.

"We'll see," she teased. She got to her flat and found an unfamiliar owl waiting. She tore open the letter and was surprised to find that Oliver had written her. She had just gotten over him and written him off, and then he wrote to her.

Oliver had been trying to find Amelia for weeks before he did. He had seen her at a pub with some of her co-workers and hid in the crowd. He was not surprised to see that one of the men she was with was openly flirting with her; he was, however, surprised to see that she was flirting back. He noticed, gladly, that she left alone and set about finding out where she lived so that he could write to her. It only took a few days before he had an address and he sent off his new owl to her as soon as he could.

Amelia read Oliver's letter 3 times. He wrote pages on why it had taken him so long to write to her and how much he wanted her back, but she had to ask herself whether it was too little, too late. She sent him a note back that she would consider what he had written and get back to him later; she only wrote because he had apparently told his owl not to leave until she had written a reply.

Four days later, Amelia still hadn't decided what to do with Oliver and she was avoiding Dylan at work, almost glad to be assigned later shifts with Healer Jameson just to accomplish that. It was during her last shift of the week that she came face to face with Oliver again.

He had been given a start in the Puddlemere game against Wimbourne because the starting Keeper had been injured. He took a nasty bludger hit just as the game was ending in a Wimbourne victory and had to be taken to St. Mungo's. Amelia was taking a dinner break when she was paged to the emergency department.

"I just got the page," she said when she entered the examination room. She noticed who the patient was and exclaimed, "Bloody hell!"

"Healer Clark, watch your language," Healer Jameson scolded.

"Sorry, sir," she mumbled.

"Now, Mr. Wood has a severe concussion and a badly bruised collar bone. I'm going to need you to keep him awake for the next hour," Healer Jameson instructed. "I'll be back when the board clears. Until then, Clark, keep him awake."

"Yes, sir," she replied. Turning to Oliver, she said, "Hello, Oliver."

"'Lo, Ames," he said. "How've you been?"

"I'm fine," she answered. "You?" He had started to doze and didn't answer, so Amelia poked him in the side.

"What's that for?" he whined.

"You're supposed to stay awake," she scolded him. "How have you been?"

"Miserable," he stated, truthfully. "Quidditch is good, though."

"I can see that," she laughed. "You're getting starts?"

"Only this once, because Kendall is out for a game. He'll be back next match against Appleby," Oliver explained. "Now, tell me about healer training."

"You're supposed to stay awake and I'm afraid doing that would just bore you back to sleep, or to tears and I don't deal with criers very well," she said.

"No?"

"Last week we had a mother and child in. The little one had eaten some plants that he shouldn't have and his Mum was crying and carrying on," she explained.

"What did you do?" Oliver asked, nervously.

"I shouted at her, which is how I got stuck with 3 weeks' worth of night shifts," Amelia finished. Oliver chuckled, but it hurt his head to laugh.

"Don't make me laugh too much," he ordered. "It hurts."

"Sorry," she said. "Can I get you anything? Do you want me to call your parents?"

"I'm fine," he promised. "And please, don't call my parents. They'll only want me to quit playing."

Amelia went to pull up a chair to sit, but Oliver asked, "Climb in with me?"

"Ol, we shouldn't," she protested. "I could get in trouble." Of course, she was saying this as she was helping Oliver shuffle around so that she wouldn't be resting her head on his sore shoulder. Then, she climbed in next to him.

"I've missed this," he said; he entwined his fingers with hers and stroked her back.

"Me too," she whispered. After a few minutes, she asked, "You're not asleep are you?"

"No," he replied. "I've been good and am staying awake."

"Good. Tell me about Puddlemere," she ordered. And he did. They talked, and laughed together for nearly half an hour, but were rudely interrupted when Dylan barged into Oliver's room.

"What the hell is going on here?" Dylan spat.

"Easy mate," Oliver said. "She was just having a break and keeping me awake for Healer Jameson."

"I know," Dylan snarled. "And if she doesn't get up she's going to be in serious trouble. Is this why you've been avoiding me? Got a little action on the side?"

"Dylan, not now," Amelia said, climbing down from Oliver's bed. Oliver gave a quizzical look, but didn't say anything.

"Yeah, mate, I took her out, and no, Amelia, now is the perfect time. So, what is it?" Dylan demanded.

"This is Oliver Wood," Amelia said. "Ol, this is Dylan Ford. Dylan is a colleague."

"I'm just a colleague? You snogged me the other night when I took you out," he nearly shouted. Amelia started to look very uncomfortable and asked Dylan into the hall.

"Who is he?" he growled.

"He was my boyfriend for nearly 2 years, Dylan. I told you I don't know how many times that I wasn't looking for a boyfriend," she explained. "I haven't seen or heard from him in months, but he's here now and we're talking."

"So that's it? What does he have that I don't?"

"The same thing he's always had," she answered, sternly. "He has my heart." Oliver had climbed out of his bed and was eaves-dropping by the door, so he heard the entire exchange.

"Jameson sent me to release him if his vitals are good, but he can't go home alone," Dylan said. "Go check him over and get him out of here. Jameson is going to want to see you before your next shift."

Amelia returned to Oliver's room and started checking over his vitals. "Who was that guy?" he asked.

"A colleague who took me out the other night," she answered. "Oliver, you are free to leave, but you shouldn't be alone tonight and you can't apparate. Is there anyone I can call for you?"

"Ames, I'm not calling in my teammates or my parents. If I have to, I'll just stay here," he said, sighing heavily.

Amelia considered Oliver for a moment. He looked annoyed that he'd have to stay at the hospital, but he was adamant that she not call anyone for him. Then, an idea struck her. "Stay with me," she offered.

"What?"

"Look, it's not like we don't know each other, and I live a few blocks from here," she said.

"Don't you have to work?" he asked.

"I was done 20 minutes after you got here and I don't have to work for the next few days" she said. "I'm going to change and I'll be back in 5 minutes. Just think about it."

She got to the door before she heard him say, "Okay." Smirking, she went to the locker room, quickly changed, and returned to Oliver's room.

"Ready?" she asked. He answered and she led him out of the hospital.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

"So, are you and that bloke together?" Oliver asked as Amelia led him to her flat.

"No, Oliver," she promised. "I agreed to 1 date to get him to stop pestering me. I kissed him at the end of it, but that was the night I got your letter."

"I hear that there's something I have that he doesn't," he teased.

"You were eavesdropping," she stated. "And you know you've always had it."

"I do," he promised quietly.

They arrived at her building and Amelia pulled her keys out and led them into her flat. "So, this is me," she said. "It's not much, but it's home. I figure that for tonight you can have my room and I'll take the sofa."

"Or you could just snuggle up with me," Oliver offered with a wink.

"Very funny," she teased. "I'll just take the sofa. Can I get you tea or anything?"

"I'd love a pint," he said.

"No chance. You shouldn't have alcohol for a few days. So, you can have tea, milk, or water."

"Water is fine," he answered.

She handed him a glass of water, which he drank very quickly, and was pouring some for herself when he suddenly bolted for the toilet and threw up. She followed him and put a cool compress on his neck. "This is why you weren't allowed to be alone tonight," she said.

"Sorry," he muttered.

She handed him a glass and said, "Just sip it slowly." After a few minutes, Amelia helped Oliver to his feet and led him to her room. She helped him out of his clothes and tucked him into her bed.

"Just sit with me for a bit," he said. "Please."

Amelia was inclined to leave, but he sounded scared and almost child-like, so she grabbed her pajamas and changed in the toilet before returning to her room. Oliver was curled up in her bed and looking nervous. She climbed in next to him and sat with her back against the headboard. She let Oliver put his head in her lap and she played with his hair until he went to sleep. When she was sure he was sleeping, she kissed his temple and took a pillow to her sitting room .

Amelia woke to the sound of Oliver cursing. She went to her room and found him sitting on the edge of her bed and looking confused. "Oliver, is everything alright?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said. "I just forgot where I was for a minute."

"What's the last thing you remember?" she asked.

"I remember you rubbing my head until I fell asleep," he answered. "Then, I woke up and I forgot where I was." He was groggy, but needed to use the loo. She had flipped a light on and helped him to the toilet. When he came back, she had brought her pillow in from the sofa and was waiting in her bed.

"Since you can't seem to remember where you are when you wake up, I figured you shouldn't wake up alone again," she said. Oliver smiled and climbed into bed with her. She, again, massaged his temple while he was drifting off to sleep. This time, however, she even hummed a soft song to him while he lay with her. Once he was asleep, she curled around him and fell quickly asleep.

The next time she woke, she was very warm, but alone. It was still fairly early, but the day was already hot. She found Oliver in the kitchen making tea. "Good morning," she said. "Feeling better?"

"Good morning," he replied. "And yes, thank you. What are your plans for today?"

"Well, I was going to go to Diagon Alley and meet up with Fred and George," she answered. "They said they've got something planned for my birthday."

"Your birthday isn't for a few weeks," Oliver pointed out.

"I'm aware of that," she teased. "But, the twins insisted we had to meet now."

"What do you want?"

"You don't have to get me anything," she said.

"I know I don't _have_ to get you anything, but I _want_ to get you something," he protested. "So, what do you want?"

"Get creative," she teased. She then got serious. "Have you eaten yet?"

"I don't know where you keep anything," he said. "The tea was still out from last night." She moved around him and set to making breakfast. He tried to help, but she insisted that he sit and relax on the sofa. He refused to wait in the other room, so he hovered around the kitchen and talked with her while she cooked. They ate breakfast at the small table situated by Amelia's favorite window.

"What is it with you and windows?" he asked.

"I like to sit and watch the weather or people. It's a good place to think. It's sort of what I've always done," she explained. Oliver gave her a look, so she continued, "When I was little, if I needed to think about things or just have some time to myself, I would go to my room and sit in my window. It was loud having 4 older brothers."

"Alright, I get it love," he said. "So, today, I'm going to need to go home and change, but I thought maybe we could spend some time together."

"I'd really like that. I'll help you get home so you don't do more damage to your shoulder and then we can do something. And probably tomorrow since you're out of training for a few days," she answered. He looked scandalized, but eventually shook his head and agreed.

Oliver waited while Amelia got showered and changed. Then, she helped him apparate back to his flat to do the same thing. While Oliver was in the shower, Amelia noticed that he had kept all of the pictures of them that he had. Many were in frames and placed on tables or the mantle, and some were in an album. She didn't snoop in his bedroom, but if she had, she would have noticed that he slept with her photo by his side every night.

She was looking through one of the albums and chuckling when Oliver startled here. "Something funny in there?"

"You really have GOT to stop scaring me," she scolded. "And nothing funny in particular. I was just remembering some really happy times. Like the first time you got me drunk at one of the Weasleys' parties."

"I recall holding your hair back," he teased. "It was quite fun."

"I think you're a bad influence on me." A pregnant silence settled until Amelia whispered, "I can't believe you kept all of this."

"I guess I figured that getting rid of it would mean it's really over," he admitted. "I never wanted it to be over."

"What do you want now, Oliver?" she asked.

"I want the same thing I've wanted since the train," he said. "You. I've always wanted you." Amelia didn't say anything for a long time. "Ames, what has you so scared?"

"What if it happens again? What if we grow apart and I snog someone else again or you snog someone else and we hurt each other? What if it's so bad we can't forgive each other?"

"Ames, I can't make any guarantees about the future," he said quietly; he gently rubbed her back. "What I can promise is that I will do my best to keep you happy, I won't snog anyone else and it'll be easier now."

"I still live in London," she reasoned.

"I know, but you don't have parents or teachers getting in the way now," he argued. "We can do this. Please at least try. Just let me take you out once; if you don't have a good time, I'll bugger off."

Amelia didn't say anything for a long time. She finally just nodded and then Oliver, who was kneeling in front of her, kissed her fully. She ran her hands through his hair and readily returned the kiss. He pushed her back on the sofa and caressed her side, inching his hand under her shirt. She stopped him a few moments later and said, breathlessly, "What time is it?"

"Almost noon," he answered. "Why?"

"I'm supposed to meet the twins on the Alley in half an hour," she replied. "Come with me and after I'll let you take me out."

Oliver agreed and let Amelia straighten herself up before they apparated to Diagon Alley to meet the twins.

The twins were waiting, exactly as they promised, just inside Diagon Alley. "Amelia Clark!" George shouted. "Get your fine arse over here and let me squeeze it!"

"Watch it, Weasley," Oliver replied. "I don't want to have to deck you."

"Well, well, Georgie," Fred teased. "It looks like our little Ames here has rekindled an old romance." He waggled his eyebrows at her.

"Indeed it does, Freddie," George replied. "What are we going to do about that?"

"This," Fred said. And they sandwiched Amelia into a Weasley hug. "And, it's about time, you lot!" Fred finished.

"Right," Amelia said. "Down to business. I've got the new formula for you. Try not to kill anyone." She handed them a stack of papers that she had in her pocket. She made to leave with Oliver, but the twins called her back.

"You don't honestly think we've forgotten about your birthday, love," George said.

"And since Mum is being a tyrant and we may not be able to sneak away again in a few weeks," Fred continued.

"We've brought your present with us," George finished. With a flourish, he and Fred presented Amelia with her present, some firecrackers and a new invention, the Skiving Snackbox.

"The red side will make you vomit," Fred explained.

"And the green side will make you better," George finished. "It's a good way to get out of work or school when you just don't want to go."

"Cheers," she said. "You lot know how to impress a lady." Gifts in hand, Amelia and Oliver strolled down the street. The twins smirked at them just before they apparated away.

Once they were alone, Oliver turned to Amelia and said, "Now what would you like to do?"

Amelia considered for a moment and said, "Follow me." She led them through London to a park where a pick-up football match was being played. She asked if she could join and Oliver watched her play around for a bit. When she finished the game, they went back to her flat and had tea.

"I didn't notice earlier that you have a telly," Oliver mused. "Can we watch?"

"Sure," she giggled. "Have you ever watched telly?"

"No," Oliver replied. "We didn't have one in the house growing up."

She grabbed the remote control and flipped on a football match. Oliver marveled at the television and was impressed. They sat on the sofa together. When the match ended, Amelia switched off the telly and Oliver looked over at her. Then, he leaned over and kissed her.

He lay her back on the sofa and started playing with the hem of her shirt. She pushed him back and raised her arms so that he could remove her shirt. Then, she grabbed at his shirt and yanked it over his head. The sudden movement hurt his sore shoulder and he winced. "I'm so sorry," she said.

"I'll get over it, love," he replied. "Now, where were we?"

"I believe you were just about to," she started, but she didn't get to finish. An owl started pecking at her window and though she wanted to ignore it, the bird would not leave. She wiggled out from beneath Oliver and opened the window. The bird landed on the coffee table and stuck its leg out at her. She pulled the envelope off the owl and read the letter. When she finished, she swore.

"What is it?" Oliver asked.

"I'm being summoned to my supervisor's office," she said. "They want a meeting with me immediately. If I'm not there in an hour, I'll be released from the program."

"This is because of me, isn't it?" he asked.

"No, Oliver, it's because Dylan is a jealous arse who thought there was more going on between us than there was. I'll be back soon," she promised. "Wait here." She grabbed her wand and apparated to St. Mungo's.

When Amelia arrived at her supervisor's office, there was a crowd of people waiting. Amelia walked in, still wearing her jeans and tank top that she had pulled on that morning, and immediately felt out of place. "I was asked to come in straight away?" she said, timidly.

"Yes, Miss Clark," said Healer Jameson. "We've been told about a certain…incident between you and a patient last night. I believe you were instructed to see that Mr. Wood stayed awake, not take a nap with him."

"He did stay awake, sir, and we were talking," Amelia replied.

"And what, precisely, is the nature of your relationship with the patient?" asked a witch that Amelia didn't know.

"I don't think that's really relevant at this point," Amelia countered.

"It's relevant if we think it is," added Healer Florence Scott, who was Healer Jameson's boss. "What is the nature of your relationship with the patient in question?"

"He was my boyfriend while I was at Hogwarts and he's my friend," she replied. "Nothing happened here that I wouldn't tell my father about."

"Did you take him home with you?" Healer Jameson asked.

"Why does it matter? Am I being told that I am not to associate with friends outside of working hours?" Amelia argued.

"You are if they are patients," Healer Scott stated. "Did he come home with you?"

"Yes, he did, and he's at my home now." Amelia remained firm. "When we left the hospital, he was no longer my patient, but he's still my friend. Now, if we're done with this preposterous exercise, I'm going to tend to my guests." Amelia started to leave, but paused when Healer Jameson called her name.

"You're on probation for the next 3 months. If you put even a toe out of line, you'll be out of the program," he warned.

She nodded and stomped out of the hospital. When she got to the closest alley, she apparated back to her flat. Oliver was still there, but he had picked up for her. "You cleaned?" she asked.

"Aye," he replied. "How did it go?"

"I'm officially on probation," she said. "If I put a toe out of line in the next 3 months, I'll be out of the program."

"That's because of me," he protested.

"It's not," she promised. "It's because the administrators are puritanical old fools who've never contemplated the possibility of 2 people of different genders who are friends."

Amelia had sat on the floor in front of Oliver and he was massaging her shoulders. He paused.

"Is that all we are?" he asked. "Just friends?"

"No, Ol, you're much more than just a friend to me, but I didn't want to tell them that," she explained. "And last night when I climbed into your cot, we weren't anything more than just friends." Oliver resumed massaging her shoulders, which were knotted with tension.

"You really should see a trainer," he suggested. "You are a mess of tension."

"I hadn't noticed," she snapped. "And my life hasn't really been a picnic lately."

"Why not?"

"For starters, I broke up with my boyfriend over Easter holidays," she said. "And then, my best friend was murdered just before graduation. Add to that moving to London and starting a new career that I'm pretty sure I hate, and it's been a rough few months." When she finished talking, she had tears streaming down her face.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I wanted to write after I read about Cedric. I know he was important to you."

"Why didn't you write?" she asked. "That hurt more than almost anything."

"It's going to sound lame," he admitted, "but I just didn't know what to say."

"You could have said something like I'm sorry your friend died and I'm thinking about you," she suggested. "Or you're the only woman I'll ever love and I'll spend the next 60 years trying to find someone who can replace you, but you're irreplaceable and I'm bound to be miserable."

"I'm sorry your friend died," he said, quietly. "I've never stopped thinking about you and you _are_ the only woman I'll ever love. No one could ever replace you and I'll be miserable without you."

"Thanks," she chuckled.

"Do you have to work tomorrow?" he asked after several minutes of silence.

"No," she answered.

"Stay with me tonight," he said. "We can stay here or in my flat, but I don't want to sleep alone."

"I'd really like that," she replied.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

Amelia put together a bag of her things to take with her to Oliver's for the night. When she finished, he took her hand and they apparated to his flat.

They put her bag in his room and took seats on the sofa. Oliver turned on the wireless so that they could listen to a quidditch match. Amelia sat on the sofa and curled into Oliver. After only 5 minutes of listening to the match, Oliver leaned over and kissed Amelia; she kissed back. It took Oliver nearly no time to divest Amelia of her shirt and for her to return the favor.

Oliver kissed at her collarbone and chest. He kneaded her breasts through her pink lace bra; she gently scratched her nails on his back and moaned into his mouth. He paused, smirked, and said, "Enjoying yourself?"

"Yes, thank you," she replied. "And from where I am, it appears as though you are enjoying yourself too."

"Most definitely," he said. "But perhaps you'd like to do this somewhere else?"

"Where did you have in mind?" She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

"I was thinking my bed, but if you're offering a more public display, who am I to stop you?" he teased. Then, he stood and scooped her over his good shoulder to march her around. She laughed and slapped at his back. When he set her down again, they were in his bedroom and they were both laughing like children.

"You are such an arse," she said, crooking a finger through his belt loop and pulling him closer. Before she would allow him to go further, however, Amelia suddenly became aware that less than 24 hours before she was treating Oliver as a patient. So, she asked, "How are you feeling?"

"I promise, love, I'm fine," he said, pushing her gently against his bed.

"You're sure your head is o.k.? And your shoulder?" she queried.

"I'm sure," he repeated. "Besides, I'm fairly certain that the perfect cure for a concussion is sex."

"As the medical professional in the room, I have to concur with your assessment," she joked. "But, promise me if you feel at all ill you'll stop."

"I promise." Then, he closed his lips over hers and ended their discussion. He snaked his hands behind her back and unhooked her bra. Then, he slid it off her arms and tossed it across the room.

She fumbled with his belt and the button on his trousers, but eventually was able to get them undone. She shoved his trousers down as far as she could reach while he was busy working on her trousers.

"Nice scanties," he mused when he pulled her trousers off and noticed that her knickers matched her bra. "Unfortunately, they're going to have to go for what I have planned." He slid them off and kissed her on her legs and thighs, and everywhere else she would let him. She squirmed, but he kept up his ministrations until she screamed his name.

She flipped them over and straddled him, fully removing his trousers and boxers. She grabbed her wand and cast a contraceptive charm. Then, she shagged him until he screamed her name.

When they were lying in bed, panting and sweaty, she turned her head to him and asked, "Where did you learn that?"

"There's a lot of talk in the locker room," he answered, truthfully. "I just listened to the other blokes."

"Sounds more like bragging," she pointed out.

"It is bragging," he admitted.

"So will you brag about me?" she teased.

"Only if you want me to, love," he replied. It was exactly what she wanted to hear, and what she feared hearing at the same time.

She rolled onto her side and played with his chest hair. "I don't know," she said. "I don't think I like the idea of everyone knowing everything just yet."

"Then I won't tell anyone anything," he promised, turning on his side to face her. "And love, you have no idea what you're doing to me right now."

"Don't I?" she teased.

"Two can play that game." He started tickling her, which led to kissing, and then shagging.

"It was rather convenient that we weren't wearing any clothes just now, wasn't it?" she said when they finished.

"Mmm-hmm," he replied.

"Are you going to sleep?"

"There's no reason that I can't, is there?" he replied.

"Not entirely, except that I'm rather hungry and since I've shagged you twice in the last 2 hours, I think you at least owe me dinner," she stated. "Now go and bring me food."

Oliver chuckled at Amelia and leaned over her to kiss her. Then, he climbed over her to get out of his bed. He pulled on his trousers and asked, "What do you want to eat?"

"Doesn't matter, as long as it's not seafood," she said.

He pulled a shirt over his head, kissed her once more, and left the flat to get food. He returned 20 minutes later and found Amelia sitting on the sofa wearing one of his t-shirts. "Is that mine?" he asked.

"No," she joked. "You gave it to me while you were out and now you're going to have to fight me to get it back."

"I'll look forward to doing just that after you've eaten, since you demanded food," he replied. Then, he set out sandwiches and drinks that he bought from a deli a few blocks away on his small dining table.

Amelia was determined to make Oliver bring her food, but he picked her up and carried her to the table. Once the sandwiches were devoured, they returned to his bed, where they shagged and passed out.

When Amelia woke the next morning, she heard strange voices. She got up to find out what was going on and nearly left Oliver's room without clothes. Luckily, she caught herself because when she arrived in the sitting room, wearing only Oliver's dressing gown, she found his parents sipping tea and harassing Oliver.

"Good morning, Amelia," Edward said, a hint of teasing in his voice.

"Good morning, Mr. Wood," she replied; her cheeks turned bright red. "Mrs. Wood." She motioned for Oliver to follow her into the kitchen.

"You could have warned me," she scolded.

"I didn't know they were coming over," he retorted. "They just showed up and I didn't have time to sneak back and warn you."

"You could have excused yourself and come back to your room," she argued. "Had I known they were here, I might have made it less obvious what we were doing last night." She left Oliver in the kitchen and stomped back to his room in a huff.

"Where did Amelia go?" Jane asked.

"She's hiding and more than slightly embarrassed to be caught off guard," Oliver explained.

"We didn't know you were back together, Oliver," Edward pointed out.

"I know, Da. We just got back together," he answered. "If you don't mind, I'm going to go and see if she has decided I'm just not worth it yet." Edward and Jane bade Oliver goodbye and promised to call before coming over the next time. Then, Oliver went back to his room, where Amelia had crawled back into bed and was pretending to ignore him.

"Are you really angry?" he asked, crawling into bed beside her.

"No, just embarrassed beyond all recognition," she answered, looking up from under her pillow. Oliver pulled it off her head and kissed her neck.

"You look amazing," he promised. "And you have no reason to be embarrassed. I'm sorry my parents just showed up like that. I was going to wake you with breakfast in bed."

"And you got sidetracked?"

"Mm-hmm," he hummed against her neck, sending shivers down her spine.

"You realize you still owe me breakfast?" she teased.

"Yes," he said, still nuzzling her neck.

"And you're not getting shagged until I've been fed," she finished. "Now, if you want in my pants you should probably go make me something to eat. Shagging does require lots of energy."

"Fair enough." He pulled himself away from her and wandered to the kitchen to make something to eat.

Amelia decided she didn't want to wait in bed and padded to the kitchen. She tied the robe tightly around her middle and snuck up behind Oliver. "Gotcha!" she exclaimed.

"I heard you coming," he replied. "You'll never freak me out like that."

"That sounds like a challenge," she teased. "Now I've got a new mission!"

After spending the rest of the day in Oliver's bed, Amelia decided that she would have to return to London for the night. "I wish you didn't have to go," Oliver whined.

"Yes, but I have to turn up for training tomorrow," she replied. "I'll probably have to do something thoroughly disgusting like clean festering wounds or something. And besides, you're not training tomorrow; you could always come to my flat."

"Your neighbors won't mind?" he asked.

"It's none of their business," she said. She grabbed Oliver's hand and apparated them to the alley near her flat. While she was digging her keys out of her bag, one of her neighbors stuck her head out and glared and the pair.

When they got into her flat, Oliver asked, "Who was that?"

"Crazy old bat who lives next door," Amelia answered. "She's always annoyed at me for some reason. I think she hates the idea of having a young person living in the building. She's always complaining about the noise in my flat."

"What noise?"

"No idea," she replied.

Amelia heard her phone ringing and answered it while avoiding Oliver's roaming hands. Her mother was calling to set up a visit for her birthday; Amelia mentioned that she had company, and that it was Oliver, but refused to elaborate any further. Her mother let her end the call quickly.

Once Amelia hung up from her mother, she turned to Oliver and said, "Can I ask you something?"

"You just did, but you may ask another," he teased.

She rolled her eyes and inhaled deeply. "Were there other girls? I promise not to be angry, but I think I have a right to know if there were others since we've been pretty much shagging for 2 days and…"

Oliver did not allow her to finish her sentence. He cut her rambling off with a kiss. When he pulled back a few seconds later, he said, "No, Ames. There were no others. There were some who tried, but none who got further than buying me a pint at pub." Suddenly, Oliver got nervous, and asked, "What about you? Were there others for you?"

"No," she replied. "I only went out on a date once with Dylan and he got no further than a snog, which you knew about the other night."

"I wasn't going to say anything about that," Oliver promised. "Now, since we've got that nastiness out of the way, where were we when your mum called?"

"I was just about to invite you for a bath," she suggested. "I have a rather large tub; it's the main reason I took this flat."

Oliver nodded and Amelia went to her bathroom to fill the tub. When he joined her in the bathroom, he noticed that she had lit candles and poured some sort of bath stuff into the water. "What is in the water?" he asked.

"Lavender scented bath salts," she replied. "It's good for stress relief."

The water was just about ready, so Amelia stripped and ordered Oliver to do the same. Once they were both disrobed, she instructed him into her tub and climbed in to sit in his lap. She leaned her head against his good shoulder and exhaled deeply.

Over the next several weeks, Oliver and Amelia spent as much time together as possible. He even joined her and her parents for tea on her birthday. At work, Amelia was treated to several lectures on responsibilities of healers when interacting with patients, and neither Dylan nor Healer Jameson would let her forget that she brought Oliver home with her. She wouldn't let them forget that she and Oliver were together and, frequently, sleeping together.

By the time the Christmas holidays arrived, she and Oliver had even discussed getting a flat together. She wasn't sure she wanted to live together full time, but he, correctly, pointed out that they hadn't spent a night apart in months, especially once his season had ended. After several days of arguments, she finally said, "I'll think about it."

"That's all I want," Oliver replied. "Now, important discussion. What are we doing for Christmas?"

"When do your parents celebrate?" she asked.

"Usually on Christmas night and Boxing Day," he answered. "We could do your parents on Christmas morning and go to mine on Christmas night."

"That could work," she mused. She inhaled deeply and looked at her watch.

"Work?" he asked.

"Yeah. I really hate the night shift," she complained.

"How long will this keep up?"

"Until I've learned not to bring my work home with me," she joked.

"This is still because you brought me home with you?" She nodded. "Love, you should consider training somewhere else."

"I have," she confessed. "I've reapplied with a few teams, but none of them are taking new trainees until the summer. I've got to go." She kissed him quickly and apparated to St. Mungo's. She was on duty when Arthur Weasley was brought in, bleeding and looking very pale.


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

Amelia was staring in disbelief when Dylan smacked her on the back. "What is it now? Your boyfriend's dad?" he snarled.

"No," she replied. "But I went to school with his sons and they're good people."

"Nothing but blood traitors," Dylan mumbled.

"You realize I'm muggle born, right?" Amelia countered. She was tending to Mr. Weasley and Dylan was awestruck.

"You're a mudblood?"

"No, I'm a muggle born," she corrected. She returned to examining Mr. Weasley and collecting samples of the venom dripping from his wounds. She took the samples out of the room and left Dylan and the other healers still puzzling over Mr. Weasley.

When she returned, Mrs. Weasley was in the hallway. "Mrs. Weasley?" she said.

"Yes," Molly replied. "Do I know you?"

"Probably not, but I know your sons. I was a Gryffindor," Amelia said. "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Do you know what's going on with Arthur?" Molly asked.

"I've taken some samples of the venom to the laboratory and now we're just waiting to see what comes back," Amelia answered. "We're keeping him going with regular blood replenishing potions."

"Thank you, dear," Molly said. "You're the first person who hasn't tried to patronize me. What's your name, dear?"

"Amelia Clark," she replied. "I was a year ahead of your twins. They're 2 of my best friends."

Amelia was going to elaborate further, but Healer Jameson came out of Arthur's room and demanded that she follow him. Once they were alone, he began to yell at her, telling her she had no business speaking to Mrs. Weasley about Arthur's condition and making her panic.

"Sir," Amelia defended. "I didn't make Mrs. Weasley any more worried than she was. Perhaps if you told family members what was going on with their loved ones, they'd be less scared about things. I was only trying to help her because her children are my friends."

"You were warned months ago and, while you're no longer on probation, your position in this program can still be terminated," Healer Jameson warned. "You're dismissed and your shift is over."

Amelia huffed and returned home. It was one of the few nights that Oliver was not planning to be at her flat, and she was a bit sad about that. She floo called him and asked him to come over. "Please, Ol," she begged. "I've had a shit day and I could really use a back rub."

"I'll be right over," he promised.

Only a few minutes after Amelia had pulled her head out of the floo, she heard Oliver knocking on her door. "For you," he said, handing her some ice cream.

"Does it freak you out at all that you know me so well?" she teased, taking the ice cream (chocolate) from Oliver and grabbing a spoon.

"No, it doesn't freak me out. Does it freak you out?" He sat on the sofa and motioned for Amelia to sit in front of him. She sat and he massaged her shoulders.

"Sometimes," she admitted. "But, then I tell you I've had a shit day and you come over with ice cream."

"So, what made it a shit day?"

"Mr. Weasley was hurt," she answered. "I saw Mrs. Weasley waiting in the hall, pacing nervously, so I spoke to her. Apparently I'm not allowed to speak to family members because telling them the truth is bad. Also, I'm a mudblood."

"Don't say that filthy word," Oliver ordered. "And where did you hear it?"

"Dylan," she sighed. "He said the Weasleys were nothing but blood traitors and I told him I'm muggle born. He said it."

"Have you given any more thought to just taking the next term off and getting into a training program with a team next year?" He was almost begging her and they had been discussing her future for weeks.

"I have," she said. "I'm worried that if I quit, I won't want to go back. I can last for 1 more term with Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde."

"I have no idea what that even means," he laughed.

"It's a muggle thing," she promised. "I'll get you a copy of the book."

"Christmas is coming up fast," he joked. "Now, you should get to bed."

"Are you staying?"

"Are you asking me to?" he replied.

"Yes," she said. She let him pull her up from the floor and led him to her room, after putting the remaining ice cream in her freezer.

The next day, Oliver kissed her goodbye on the forehead before apparating away to meet his father for a day of Christmas shopping. "What are you getting Amelia?" he asked.

"I haven't the foggiest," Oliver admitted. "I thought about jewelry, but I'm worried it'll be too much for her."

"Don't get her jewelry that comes with any strings if you're not sure, Oliver," Edward suggested. "Try something like a necklace or locket."

"That's what I got her last year," Oliver said. "I got her a quaffle charm that she still wears every day."

The pair was wandering around East Kilbride when Oliver noticed a poster for a ballet. Amelia had been hinting for weeks that she wanted to go to a ballet and had never been. So, he went and bought tickets for the show a few days after Christmas.

While Oliver and his dad were out shopping, Amelia was out shopping for a gift for Oliver. She went to a rare book store and bought him a copy of _The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde_, as she had promised. She also bought gifts for his parents, since she would be seeing them over the holidays. When she finished her shopping excursion, she barely had enough time to drop her purchases off at her flat before returning to St. Mungo's for her next shift.

When she arrived, she did not expect to see Fred and George in the hall. "Oy! Weasleys!" she called.

They looked up and smiled at her, but it wasn't their normal smiles. She strode over to them and pulled, first Fred, and then George into very tight hugs. "How are you doing?"

"We've been better," Fred said. "You?"

"I can't complain," she replied. "Any word on your dad yet?"

"No," George answered. "We're still waiting. How did you know he was here?"

"I was working when he was brought in last night," she admitted. "I'll just nip down to the lab to see if they've got anything. I'll be back soon." She went to the lab, but when she returned, she didn't have any news to share with the twins. Then, Healer Jameson kept her working on other cases for several hours. When her shift finished, she went back to Mr. Weasley's room to visit with the twins again before she left.

She found that Mr. Weasley was doing remarkably well and that some of the potions seemed to be working. Fred and George were in much better spirits when she left the hospital.

Since it was almost Christmas Eve and she was going to be on break until January, Amelia stopped by her flat, collected the things she would need and apparated to Oliver's flat where they had planned to meet. "We should assume that my parents will make you sleep in my brother's room," Amelia said. "They'll never let us sleep together, at least not until we're married."

"I expected as much," Oliver replied. "Do you have everything?"

"Yes."

"Then, let's get going," he suggested. "We don't want your parents waiting too long." She nodded and grabbed his arm to apparate them to Leeds.

When they arrived, Camilla greeted them at the door. "Darling, it's been far too long since you've been home," she scolded Amelia.

"I know Mum, but I've been busy," Amelia replied. Camilla scowled at Amelia until Oliver came to her rescue.

"It's true, Mrs. Clark," he interjected. "I've had a hard time keeping up with her myself and I'm in the off season now."

Amelia and Oliver were allowed to go and put their bags away before they were expected to rejoin the family. As expected, Oliver was assigned Brandon's room, since he and his wife were not going to be there until Boxing Day. Amelia didn't tell her mother that she had seen Brandon and his wife the weekend before so that they could have a small Christmas together; nor did she tell her that Brandon had given Oliver his nod of approval. Camilla had been somewhat cold to Oliver since April, but held her tongue for Amelia's sake.

After placing their bags in their rooms, Amelia and Oliver were expected to join the rest of the gathering family in the sitting room. Amelia's youngest brother, Jack, had arrived home from Oxford the day before and Mike and Jaime were set to arrive any minute. "Oliver, you remember Jack," Amelia said. "He's studying at Oxford."

"Good to see you again, Jack," Oliver said, shaking his hand.

"Likewise, Oliver," Jack replied. "How's that sport you play?"

"Good," Oliver answered. "We're in the off-season until March, so I've been free for a few weeks."

Jack pulled Oliver aside and whispered, menacingly, "Look, mate, I know Amelia really likes you and may even love you, but if you mess her about again, I will mangle you in ways you can only imagine. I'm studying medicine at Oxford and will be able to use a scalpel soon."

"Fair enough," Oliver said, sensing that arguing would only lead to bad things. He had no intention of getting on the bad side of any of Amelia's brothers, and Jack, who was the tallest and strongest of all of them, was the last of them that Oliver wanted to tangle with.

Mike and Jaime arrived together, having taken the same train from Manchester. They piled into the sitting room and pulled Oliver aside as well. "Mate," Mike started.

"We wanted to talk to you," Jaime continued.

"Lads, if you're going to threaten my life if I mess your sister about, you've missed that party," Oliver defended. "I have no intention of messing her about."

"We just wanted to warn you that Jack was planning to threaten you," Mike said. "It appears as though our youngest brother works rather fast."

"Yeah, mate," Jaime added. "Brandon filled us in on his conversations with you. I think he tried to reach Jack but either Brandon didn't reach him or Jack didn't listen."

"Besides," Mike continued. "We trust Amelia's judgment and her ability to beat you senseless should the need arise. We've taught her well."

"I know," Oliver joked. "She's managed to pin me more than once while we were wrestling."

"Too much, mate," Jaime said. "We don't want to hear about you shagging our little sister."

"I'll keep that in mind," Oliver promised. They were about to continue, but Amelia joined them. The talk soon turned to sports and Jaime and Mike were infuriated to hear that Amelia was giving up on her goal of playing football for the English national team. Amelia reminded them that she hadn't played for a recognized team in years, so getting on the national team was a long shot anyway.

"Besides," she concluded, "this way, I can watch you lot play." Jaime and Mike seemed to be content with Amelia's response.

After dinner that night, Amelia and Oliver took a walk together. "Are you planning to tell me what you got me for Christmas?" she asked, pouting.

"Pouting will not get you an answer," Oliver said. "You'll just have to wait until tomorrow."

"You are absolutely no fun," she groaned.

"And yet you're still with me," he teased. "Come on. I'll give you a piggy back ride back to your house." He bent over and let her leap onto his back. While Oliver carried Amelia back to her house, she nuzzled his ear, prompting him to stop momentarily and set her down.

"You have no idea what you're doing to me," he warned.

"Don't I?" she teased. "Oliver, I know exactly what I'm doing."

"And you realize that tonight we're at your parents' house and in separate bedrooms and then tomorrow night we're at my parents' house and in separate bedrooms."

"And then after that, we're at your flat in your bed," she finished.

"It could be our flat and our bed," he said.

"I know and I'll give you an answer tomorrow," she promised. "We'll find a minute alone because I'm fairly certain that my parents won't allow me to live with you."

"Fair enough," he said. He kissed her deeply before having her leap back onto his back and carrying her back home.

The next morning, Oliver woke early and snuck into Amelia's room. He almost didn't see her, snuggled underneath her blankets. He only noticed her when she snorted and rolled over. He chuckled to himself and went to wake her up. "Morning, love," he whispered.

"Go away," she whined.

"It's time to get up," he sang.

"Oliver, either go away or get in with me," she ordered. She moved over and let Oliver climb into her bed with her to snuggle before it was time to get up. All would have been fine, if Jack had not barged in to wake Amelia while she was snogging Oliver. Jack began to shout, which resulted in Amelia's entire family piling into her room. Jaime and Mike started laughing uncontrollably while her mother and father shoved everyone out of her room.

"I don't know what you're playing at, Amelia," Camilla scolded, "but this behavior will not be tolerated."

"Bloody hell, Mum," Amelia cried. "We've been here for all of 5 minutes. Oliver came to wake me up since he likes to open his presents early. Nothing happened that we won't tell you about."

Camilla gave them both a glare, but didn't argue the issue with Amelia or Oliver. They joined the rest of the family in the sitting room where Jack was shouting at Mike and Jaime over, what he called, their nonchalance towards Amelia and Oliver snogging in her bed. "Jack, let it go," Joseph warned. "Amelia is a grown woman now and is capable of making her own choices."

"Now that that's settled, let's get to presents," Camilla offered.

Jack sat in a huff, glaring daggers at Amelia and Oliver for the rest of the morning. When Amelia opened Oliver's present, she squealed with delight. "You got me ballet tickets?"

"Yes," he answered. "You can take anyone you want."

"So you're coming to the ballet with me?"

"If you want me to," he promised. "And I certainly hope that you want me to."

"I do," she replied. "I've always wanted to go to the ballet."

Oliver smirked to himself and silently patted himself on the back for a job well done. He knew she had wanted to see the ballet and was glad that he could take her. Then, Amelia handed Oliver his present. He was thrilled that she got him the book she had promised him, and surprised that she got what appeared to be a very old copy of it.

After presents were finished, the family ate breakfast together, as was their tradition. Brandon called while they were eating and asked Oliver, "Has she answered yet?"

"No," Oliver replied.

"Are my brothers listening to your end of the conversation?" Brandon asked.

"Yes," Oliver answered.

"Fair enough, but don't let her slide. Ask her again before the end of the holidays and tell her you have my blessing," Brandon ordered.

"Of course, Bran," Oliver said. "I'd love to tell you about quidditch soon." Oliver handed the phone to Mike who smirked knowingly when he finally hung up the phone.

Mike called Oliver over and whispered, "Brandon told me about your plan with Amelia. Don't look so freaked out, mate. We approve and we'll help if she agrees."

"Cheers, Mike," Oliver said. "Now we just have to convince your sister."


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

After breakfast with Amelia's family, Oliver and Amelia apparated to East Kilbride to spend part of the holiday with his parents. On the walk down the lane, Oliver asked, "Have you decided yet?"

"I have," she answered.

When Amelia did not answer further, Oliver said, "And?"

"And I will, but I have a lease that I want to finish and I need to live where we can have a telephone for my family," she replied. "Can you live with those terms?"

"Of course, love," Oliver said, beaming. "I just want us to be together, and I can still stay with you for a bit, until training camp starts."

"Exactly," she stated. "So, when we go back, you should notify your team where you'll be staying and pack some things. I'll clear out a drawer for you."

"What about your parents?"

"If they find out, we'll remind them that we're both of age and can make the decisions ourselves," she said. "If that doesn't work, they'll eventually get over it." Oliver didn't answer her with words; he picked her up in a tight hug and kissed her.

They broke apart when they heard someone clear their throat. They looked up to see Jane standing in the doorway. "Sorry, Mum," Oliver said, appropriately abashed. "Happy Christmas!"

"Happy Christmas, Oliver, and Amelia," Jane replied. She let them into the house and followed them into the sitting room, where Edward was waiting.

"It's about time," Edward scolded.

"Sorry, Mr. Wood, but my brothers got a little needy when we were leaving," she said.

"I caught them snogging in front of the house," Jane chimed. Amelia blushed scarlet and tried to hide behind Oliver; Oliver squeezed her hand.

"Relax, dear," Edward said. "Jane is just having a bit of fun with you. We won't ask about what you lot do if you promise not to tell us."

"Thanks," Amelia replied.

They took seats in the den and opened their presents. Edward and Jane were quite pleased with the presents that Amelia and Oliver had brought for them as were Oliver and Amelia. After presents, Oliver and Amelia took their bags to their rooms while Edward and Jane set to making dinner.

Amelia was settling in when Oliver snuck into her room. "After my parents go to bed, sneak into my room," he whispered. He startled her completely, but also sent shivers down her spine.

"If they catch us?" she asked.

"They won't care," he promised. She didn't believe him, but she didn't have the energy to argue.

By the time dinner was finished, Amelia was exhausted. She fell asleep on Oliver's shoulder while listening to the wireless. Oliver sent his father a look and Edward nodded; then, he scooped Amelia into his arms and carried her upstairs to put her to bed. She started to stir when she felt him pulling her shoes off.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"You fell asleep and I'm putting you to bed," he replied. "I'm just taking your shoes off. Do you want help changing into your pajamas?"

"As much as you'd like that, I think I can handle it," she giggled.

He leant over her and kissed her. When they broke apart, he said, "I'll never get enough of that."

"Nor will I," she promised. She caressed his face and was tempted to just ask him to climb in with her, but he sighed.

"I really need to go," he said. "I don't want to, but I need to. If my parents think…" He looked at her and noticed the disappointment in her face. Then he toed off his shoes and added, "Aw, bugger it. Shove over, I'm climbing in."

Amelia scooted over on the bed and let Oliver climb in beside her. She snuggled into his chest, threw her top leg over his and fell quickly asleep. Oliver followed suit. Edward and Jane peeked in on them when Oliver didn't return, but since they were both still fully clothed, they let them sleep.

When Oliver woke the next morning, he was shocked that his parents hadn't tossed him from Amelia's bed. He untangled their limbs and went to the kitchen, where he found his mother. "Morning, Mum," he said.

"Morning, Oliver," Jane replied. "Sleep well?"

"Yes," he answered. "Did you and dad know where I slept?"

"Of course, but you looked so peaceful that we didn't want to wake you," she said. "And Amelia looked very happy."

"Cheers, Mum," Oliver said. "Thanks for trusting us."

"You've earned it," Jane promised.

Amelia then stumbled into the kitchen and took a seat at the table by the window. Oliver brought her a cup of tea, just the way she liked it and she sipped while watching a bird in a tree. Jane went to say something, but Oliver stopped her. "She likes to wake up first, Mum," Oliver warned. "It's her morning ritual."

Oliver walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. She sighed contentedly and he sat next to her. Jane watched them from where she was making toast and admired how at ease they were; she suddenly realized that Oliver had truly met his mate. She was watching them when Edward joined her in the kitchen. "What are you looking at?" he asked quietly.

"Our son and his future wife," she answered.

"Are you sure about that?"

"Yes," Jane stated. Glancing over, Edward concurred with his wife and noticed that Amelia and Oliver seemed perfectly attuned to each other.

After breakfast, Amelia and Oliver got dressed and planned to go with his parents to visit his family. She was just finishing getting ready when Oliver knocked on her door. "Come in," she called.

"Wow," he marveled. "You look beautiful."

"Thank you." She was blushing, but Oliver insisted that she needn't; she was really beautiful. "What if they don't like me?" she asked, suddenly.

"Who?" Oliver asked.

"Your family," she said. "What if they don't like me?"

"Ames, they're going to love you and even if they don't, you're my choice and I happen to love you quite a lot," he replied. "Now, Mum and Dad are waiting. We're going to apparate to my Grandfather's house in Fife." She nodded and followed him out of the room and to the kitchen, where Jane and Edward were waiting.

Amelia soon found out that she was nervous for no reason. Oliver's family were quite taken with her and she found them all very charming. His grandfather even remarked to Oliver, loud enough for Amelia to hear, that he was a lucky man and should be careful not to screw up the relationship. Amelia nearly snorted her drink from the laughter.

More presents were passed around, but this party seemed to have a theme that everyone should bring one gift and each person would choose at random. Amelia was lucky; she chose a cheap bottle of wine. Oliver got a bottle of mustard and his parents fared even worse, getting a jar of olives and a can of peanuts. "It's a game every year," Oliver explained at the end. "We get to see who gets the worst gift. When they get it, Grandfather gives them something better. I think my Da has won this year."

"What about the person who brought the worst gift?" Amelia asked.

"We don't ever get to know who the gift came from, but it's a challenge to try to pick something horrible," he continued. "You at least got something that we might use."

"We'll open it for New Year's," Amelia promised. "If it's terrible, at least it will be good for a laugh." Oliver agreed just before his grandfather announced that Edward had won the award for picking the worst present and presented him with a very nice bottle of champagne.

After dinner, Oliver, Amelia and his parents returned to their home in East Kilbride by apparating. When the returned, Amelia went to change into her pajamas and Oliver followed her up the stairs. He paused in her doorway and she sensed him watching her. "What?" she asked.

"Nothing," he replied. "I was just thinking how much I love you and how I haven't said it yet today."

"Love you too," she answered, grabbing him by the collar of the shirt and snogging him. She pulled back, groaning, and said, "How many more nights here?"

"Just tonight and tomorrow," he promised. "Then, we're back at yours. I will have to stop by my flat at some point to fetch some things, but we'll be sleeping in your bed for as long as we can." He wrapped his arms around her and held her quite tightly. Then, he whispered into her hair, "Sneak into my room tonight."

"When?"

"In an hour," he answered. "Mum and Dad will be in bed by then." She nodded, kissed him softly once more, and went to the loo to brush her teeth.

As promised, an hour later, she knocked quietly on Oliver's door. He waved his wand and opened it and she tiptoed in. She greedily leapt at Oliver who turned and allowed her to tumble onto his bed. He quickly cast a silencing charm around the room so that the giggling wouldn't wake his parents. Then, he leapt onto his bed with her and started tickling her sides.

She pinched him on the waist and tickled his sides, too. It didn't take long, however, until the tickling turned to kissing, and groping, which then led to shagging. When they finished, Oliver insisted that they at least pull their pajamas back on, in case his parents decided to wake them up. Amelia agreed, but made Oliver fetch her pajamas from where he had tossed them across the room.

The next night, Oliver took Amelia to her first ever ballet. To say that she enjoyed it would be understating, a lot. "This is the most amazing thing I've ever seen," she whispered at intermission.

"Do I get points for a good present?" Oliver asked.

"Most definitely," she replied. "And you shall be rewarded when we return home."

Oliver smirked and they took their seats for the second act. When the ballet was over, Oliver took Amelia for an ice cream before taking her back to his parents' house for the night. The next morning, they apparated back to her flat in London.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

When they arrived at Amelia's flat, a strange owl was waiting. Amelia took the letter from the bird and opened it. "Shit!" she exclaimed.

"What is it?" Oliver asked.

"I've been summoned to another meeting to discuss my future prospects in the healer training program," she replied.

"When is the meeting?"

"In an hour," she replied. "It's a good thing you're a morning person else I might have missed it."

"It's only because I was hoping to get into your knickers," he joked, pawing at her trousers.

"Funny," she said, dryly. "But, I really have to get dressed to go, so quit pawing." Oliver pouted, but did as she instructed and helped her choose something that would be appropriate to wear to the meeting, since for the last meeting she had worn a tank top and jeans.

Amelia got dressed and kissed Oliver quickly. "You'll be here when I get back?" she asked.

"Of course," he promised. "Now go and knock 'em dead."

Laughing, Amelia kissed Oliver once more and scrambled out the door. She made it to the head healer's office just in time. "I see you've received our owl," said Healer Jameson, who was waiting in the office.

"Yes," Amelia replied. "I returned today from my holiday travels."

"We called you in to discuss your future in this program, Ms. Clark," Healer Scott said. "We want to know what your intentions are as far as the program?"

Amelia felt as though she was having to interview for her position in the program all over again; the first interview was an experience she would rather have forgotten as she was incredibly nervous the entire time. "I'm not sure what you mean, Ma'am," Amelia answered.

"We mean," began Healer Scott, "what do you want to do, Miss Clark? Do you want to continue working in the training program?"

"All due respect, Ma'am, but why are you asking this now?" Amelia countered. "Are the other new trainees going through this interview?"

"Healer Ford has been questioning your dedication to the program for months now," Healer Jameson explained. "He has said that you act as though you don't wish to be here and he reported that you have applied to training programs with several Quidditch teams."

"I have considered changing my goals from hospital healing to something more with sporting," Amelia replied. "I haven't made any decisions as of yet."

"In that case, we want you to use the rest of your break to consider whether you want to come back," Healer Scott ordered. "If you are not going to come back fully committed to your training here, do not come back at all. You are dismissed."

Amelia nodded curtly and left. She knew Oliver would be waiting, but she wasn't ready to go home just yet. Instead, she apparated to her brother's flat. When she knocked, Brandon opened the door.

"What's going on, Ames? Oliver hasn't messed you about again, has he?" Brandon asked, menacingly.

"No, Bran," she replied. "Oliver and I are fine. I'm just having a bad day and I wasn't ready to see Oliver yet."

"So what has you looking like someone killed your cat?" Brandon asked.

"I got called into work today and they wanted to know if I really want to be in the program," she said. "And the truth is, I don't know." Amelia started to cry and Brandon sat her on the sofa; he motioned for his wife to call Oliver at Amelia's flat.

"So what makes you think you don't want to work there?"

"I hate it," she admitted. "I've hated it since August when it was made clear to me that I was useless and stupid. Then, when Oliver got hurt and I took care of him, I got into trouble for talking to him and going home with him when my shift ended. Just before Christmas a colleague called me a vile name in reference to the fact that you and the rest of the family are not magical."

"What's the worst that will happen if you take the next term off from school?" Brandon asked pointedly.

"I can apply to work with some sport teams and I won't finish my training," she said.

"What does Oliver say?" Amelia shrugged, but was startled when Oliver answered from the doorway.

"I've been telling her to do whatever she wants," Oliver said. "I have no problem with her taking some time off."

"How did you even know I was here?" she asked.

"Brandon had Maria call your flat and you showed me how to use your telephone," Oliver answered. He took the seat next to her that Brandon had just vacated. "Why didn't you call me?"

"I just wanted my brother," she said, with a shrug.

"Are you ready to come home?" Oliver rubbed her back and she nodded. He stood, grabbed her hand and pulled her up from the sofa, and into a hug.

"Thanks," she mumbled into his shoulder.

"Anytime, love," he promised.

Amelia thanked her brother and his wife and she and Oliver left, apparating out of the back yard. When they returned to her flat, Oliver insisted on making her tea and sat her down on the sofa. "Do you want to talk about it?" he asked when he gave her the mug.

"They wanted to know whether I'm committed to working at St. Mungo's," she started. "It appears as though they managed to find out I had considered leaving and they don't want to waste time training healers who have no intention of sticking around. I have no idea what to even do, Ol."

"Don't make a decision right now," he suggested. "You have a few more days of break left. Let's enjoy them and you can make a decision later."

Amelia considered retorting that not knowing would only make it worse, but she didn't want to start a fight with Oliver, so she shrugged and went to unpack her bags, only to find that Oliver had already done it for her. She was slightly annoyed and changed into running clothes. She found Oliver in the sitting room. "Want to go for a run?" she asked, startling him. "Ha! I finally got you!"

"Very funny, and give me two minutes," he replied. Then, he leapt off the sofa and went to change. When he returned, they set out from her flat and took a run around her London neighborhood.

Half an hour later, they returned to her building from their run. "How long do you think that run was?" she asked, breathlessly.

"Probably 3 miles," Oliver replied, not quite as winded as Amelia.

"Why aren't you as winded?" she demanded.

"Because they make us run a lot at training," he explained. "And I have more stamina."

Amelia scoffed, "Then you can carry me up stairs." Then, she hopped on his back and made him carry her up to her flat. He laughed, but obliged her and ignored the stares from her neighbor as they giggled their way to her flat.

He opened the door and deposited her on the sofa. He leaned over her to kiss her, but stumbled and fell on her, landing in a heap. "Oomph!" she exclaimed. "Why did you do that?"

"Sorry, love," he said, sheepishly. "I was just trying to kiss you."

"And you're doing a shit job about it," she scolded, with a grin. "Now get off me and do a better job of it."

"But I'm in a perfect position here," he said, quietly; he stared at her mouth and she licked her lips. He opened his mouth slightly and leaned in to kiss her. She tangled her hands in his hair and pulled him close. He let her snog him for quite a few minutes before he pulled back.

"Love, I'm perfectly happy to continue this, but I don't think you are," he said.

"What makes you say that, Ol?" she asked, straightening her shirt.

"Because I know you, Ames," he replied. "Why don't you have a shower and a tea?"

"Fine," she sighed. "Will you be joining me?"

"I don't think I should," he protested. "I want to, but you don't need sex right now."

"Prude," she mumbled and trotted off to her shower. When she finished, she went to the kitchen and found a note from Oliver. He had gone out for a bit, but promised to be back later. Sighing, Amelia retreated to her favorite window to watch the snow fall. She was still sitting there when Oliver returned.

"How long have you been staring out the window?" he asked.

"Since I got out of the shower," she replied, quietly.

"This whole St. Mungo's thing has you really freaked out, doesn't it?"

"Why should it?" she snapped. "It's only my entire future and I haven't a clue what to do about it."

"Ames, I'm only trying to help," Oliver said.

"I know, but I don't think you can help me," she conceded. "I just don't know what to do."

"Come with me to Puddlemere," he offered. "Just for a few days. You can get away from London and St. Mungo's and every bad memory you have of the place and clear your head."

"We just got back from several days away," she argued.

"And we haven't been to my flat in months," he reasoned. "Come on. Let's go to Puddlemere."

"Fine, but in the morning. I'm tired and you need a shower," she teased. Oliver agreed and went to shower while Amelia made them sandwiches for dinner. Once they had eaten, they curled up together on her sofa and put on the telly. Amelia fell asleep leaning on Oliver. He gently got off the sofa and carried her to her bed. Then, he curled up next to her and fell asleep.

Amelia woke a few hours later and wriggled out of Oliver's arms. She tiptoed to the sitting room and took up her favorite spot in the window. She sat there for a few hours considering what she wanted to do with St. Mungo's. Part of her wanted to stick it out and finish, but a bigger part of her wanted to quit because she knew that she would never be happy there and that Healer Jameson and Dylan would make her life miserable. Accepting that, she knew what she was going to do and with that decision made, she went into her room and woke Oliver.

"Oy," she said, poking him in the side.

"Bugger all," he moaned. "What time is it?"

"3:00 AM," she answered. "Wake up."

"No. Sleep," he said.

"I've made a decision," she prodded.

Oliver rolled onto his back and looked at her. He waited for her to say something, but she simply smirked at him. "What?"

"Your hair is sticking up at an odd angle," she giggled.

"Really, Ames," he scolded. "You just woke me up. Now, what decision have you made?"

"I think we should consider looking at flats closer to Puddlemere," she said.

"You're leaving?"

"I know it's not what you expected, and part of me doesn't want to quit since I worked so hard to get in," she explained. "But, another part of me, the stronger part, knows that I've been miserable since the summer and Healer Jameson and Dylan take pleasure in making my life hell. I think I need to quit to keep my sanity."

Oliver kissed her soundly and when they broke apart, he said, "You don't have to explain yourself to me. I'll support whatever decision you make. Besides, this way, perhaps you could work for Puddlemere. We always need good trainers."

Amelia smiled and leaned back in to kiss Oliver again. She grasped at his shirt and broke their kiss to pull it over his head. He returned the favor and tossed her shirt across the room. Twenty minutes later, Amelia retrieved Oliver's shirt and pulled it over her head. Then, she lay with him and went to sleep.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The next day, Amelia returned to St. Mungo's to tender her resignation from the program. When she left the hospital, there was an extra spring in her step. On her way home, she stopped and grabbed a small present for Oliver, a book that she had enjoyed reading and which she assumed he would enjoy as well. And while at the book store, Amelia got herself a job so that she could have some income while she waited on word from Puddlemere.

Oliver was up when she returned. She gave him the book and told him about the job. "I thought we were going to get a flat near Puddlemere," he said.

"We are," she promised. "But, I thought I could have something to do, other than you, for a few months until we find a place and the season starts." She sat on his lap and put her arms around his neck. "You know I can't stay here and do nothing all the time; I'll go crazy. Besides, it'll keep my parents from freaking out when they find out I've dropped out of school."

"If you're sure," he sighed. "Will it keep your brothers from beating me senseless?"

"Darling, nothing will keep my brothers from beating you senseless," she teased.

"I'm glad I've got that to look forward to," he mused. "I could probably use a good thrashing." She nuzzled against his neck and lay him back on the sofa. Then, she kissed him soundly.

After nearly half an hour of heavy snogging, Oliver pushed Amelia back and said, "Since it's been such a day, what say I take you for tea?"

"I'd really like that," she answered.

After tea, Oliver took Amelia for a walk around London. He stopped and bought her some ice cream on the way home. While they were out, they ran into one of Oliver's teammates. "Ames, this is Aidan Fitzhugh. He's one of the chasers on the team. Aidan, this is my girlfriend, Amelia."

"It's lovely to meet you," she said, politely.

"It's really nice to meet you, love," Aidan teased. "Now I can hold it over the rest of the team's heads that I met the lovely girl who has our Keeper's heart."

"I'm only the Reserve Keeper," Oliver corrected. "And she's met the rest of the reserves when we were out for New Year's."

"True, for now," Aidan countered. "But you've got a real talent, Oliver. Miles is going to retire soon if the injuries keep up and you're the first pick for everyone on the team."

"I've been telling him that for ages," Amelia added. "He doesn't believe me either."

"Alright," Oliver sighed. "Can we go home now? We don't want the ice cream to melt."

"That's not a sick euphemism, is it?" Aidan queried.

"No," Amelia promised. "We literally just bought some ice cream for dessert."

"Then, I'll let you get home to enjoy it. I look forward to seeing you again soon, Amelia," Aidan said. Amelia agreed and let Oliver lead her back to her flat. At home, they ate ice cream straight from the carton while they watched a football match on television.

"I may actually miss this," Oliver mused.

"What?" Amelia asked, confused.

"Television," he said. "When we move in together we may not be able to get television. I may miss it."

Amelia turned to look at Oliver and dropped the ice cream on her lap. "What do you mean we may not be able to get television?"

"If we live in Puddlemere, the magic will interfere with muggle devices, like television and probably a telephone." He seemed unconcerned about this, but Amelia was freaking out. "What?"

"How do you intend for me to keep in touch with my family without a phone, Oliver?" Amelia demanded.

"I guess I hadn't thought about that," he admitted. "Love, we'll find a place that will allow you a telephone. I promise. But we still may not be able to get a television."

"You promised when I agreed to move in with you that we could have a telephone."

"I know," he said. "I just forgot."

Amelia gave him a dirty look, but didn't say anything further. Instead, she put the ice cream away and cleaned up the mess created when she dropped it with a wave of her wand. Then she went to her room, ignoring Oliver and got into her pajamas. Oliver startled her when he said, "If it means that much to you, we'll find a way to get muggle television."

"I just don't want to lose my entire identity, Oliver," she said. "Being a muggle is a fairly large part of who I am. And the telly airs the football matches my brothers play. This way I could keep up on their progress too."

"We'll find a way to make it work," he promised.

The next morning, they apparated to Puddlemere and spent several days lounging around Oliver's flat. They returned to London the night before Amelia was to start work at the book shop. That night, she called her parents and told them about leaving school. She had to put the phone down for several minutes while her mother screamed. When she picked it back up, she simply said, "Mum, I know this isn't what you want for me, but you have to trust me. Working there was slowly killing me and I couldn't take it anymore. I have an interview next week with a quidditch team for their training program."

Camilla was still furious, but said nothing further. She started shouting again when Amelia next informed her that she and Oliver would be moving in together when her lease expired. Again, Amelia set the phone down for several minutes while her mother raged. "Is that your Mum?" Oliver asked, returning to Amelia's flat.

"Yup," Amelia replied. "I just told her about quitting school and planning to move in with you. She's taking it well."

Amelia picked up the phone again and said, "Are you done, Mum?"

"I have barely even started, Amelia," Camilla shouted.

"Then, I'm ending the call," Amelia stated. "I've told you what I called to tell you and now you're yelling yourself hoarse. I'm going to go and I'll call soon." Amelia hung up the phone and didn't answer again for the rest of the night.

"So, I take it your parents are less than thrilled about what's going on here," Oliver said when Amelia joined him in the bedroom.

"They're convinced you set out to kidnap me and do all manner of bad things to me," she teased. She got quiet for several moments and then added, "They're convinced you'll break my heart."

"Then we'll have to convince them otherwise," Oliver offered.

"How do you intend to do that?" she asked.

"I've been out shopping," he explained. "And I may have bought you a small present that comes with a rather large string."

Amelia suddenly understood what Oliver was talking about and said, "Oliver, we haven't talked about this."

"Then let's talk about it now," he offered. "I want to marry you. I've known since the first date."

"We're still teenagers," she argued. "We're too young to get married. And I don't know anything about wizarding marriage laws. And my parents… and… gah, this is so hard. Why now?"

"Are you done freaking out?" he asked, calmly, a hint of a smile on his face.

"What is so funny?" she demanded.

"You are. I'm not talking about getting married tomorrow or even this year. We can just get engaged and your parents will be placated for a bit," he suggested.

"I haven't even thought about marriage, Oliver," she reasoned. "I'm barely out of Hogwarts and I have no career yet. Bloody hell, Ol, I'm not even sure what I want to do with my life." She paced around her flat and waved her arms frantically. Oliver took a seat on the sofa and let her rant for a while.

Finally, he interrupted her frantic ramblings and said, "You know you're just like your mother."

She gave him a disgusted look that suggested she would very much like to murder him. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means, love, that you're panicking for no reason at all," he said, calmly. "Think about this: Your parents are incredibly angry at the moment because they think that we're planning to live together as boyfriend and girlfriend. You're panicking because you think I'm being insincere and you're scared about what marriage means. But deep down, Ames, do you honestly think I want to marry anyone else? Do you honestly think I'll ever stop loving you for even a moment?"

"How long have you been thinking about this?" she asked, taking a seat next to him on the sofa.

He took her hand in his and looked at her. Then, he said, "Since Christmas. I've been thinking about this since Christmas when you told me you'd move in with me."

"You knew Mum and Dad would freak out?" she asked. He nodded. "And you knew I would freak out when you mentioned your shopping trip?"

"Of course. I've known you long enough to know how you'd react," he explained.

"And that didn't scare you away?"

"Never," he joked. "But, seriously, it was just an idea. If it bothers you that much, I'll just hold on to this (he held a ring box in front of her) and we can wait to get engaged."

"Can I see it?" she asked.

"Only if you want to wear it," he said. "Otherwise, I'll take it to my vault at Gringott's for safe keeping."

"I want to wear it," she said.

"You understand what that means?" he asked. She nodded. "In that case, will you marry me?"

"Eventually," she joked. "Now, let me see it." He opened the box and showed her the prettiest ring she had ever seen. It was a simple diamond solitaire in a platinum setting, but it was entirely her. "I love it, almost as much as I love the bloke that bought it for me."

"I'm glad," he said. Then, he slid the ring onto her finger and kissed her softly. "I love you for forever. I love you more than quidditch."

"I love you, too, for always," she answered. "I love you more than anything."

The next day, Amelia called her parents back, received a stern lecture from her father, and told them that she and Oliver had gotten engaged the night before. "Then this isn't just a fling?" her dad asked.

"Dad, it was never just a fling," she said. "I love him and he loves me, a lot. We haven't set a date yet and I'm pretty sure we're going to wait for a long time to get married, but we also understand that you and Mum are nervous about this whole arrangement."

"Amelia, don't get engaged just to calm your mother and me down," Joseph warned. "That's not a decision to make lightly."

"It wasn't made lightly," Amelia replied. "And I didn't get engaged to placate you and Mum. I did it because there's no one else in the world that I could imagine wanting to spend my life with."

"You're sure about this?" asked Joseph.

"Yes, Dad," she stated. "I'm absolutely sure about this. I wouldn't be doing it if I weren't."

"Then, you have my blessing, dear," Joseph said. "Your mother will calm down soon and then you get to deal with her for planning your wedding." Joseph laughed at his own joke, but Amelia did not; she simply said goodbye and promised to call soon.

"What's got you looking so scared?" Oliver asked.

"My dad just pointed out that I'll have to deal with Mum for wedding planning," she said, eyes opened wide.

"Why does that have you looking so worried?" he asked.

"Because I know what she's like," she warned. "She'll want to start planning now, and don't expect to have the wedding any time in the next 4 years. Can we consider eloping?"

"I'll marry you tomorrow if you want," he promised. "And besides, you forget that I'm involved. I'll help you with your mum."

"If you say so," she chuckled, smirking.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Amelia's promise to Oliver that her mother would make his life miserable proved true only a few days after they called her parents to tell them about the engagement. Camilla called and demanded to speak about wedding plans, so Amelia forced Oliver to participate in the call.

"And of course, we're going to want a big wedding in Leeds," Camilla said. "I'm thinking spring time. Your colors can be lavender and light green and we can decorate with lilacs."

"Mum," Amelia interjected. "Please stop. We haven't chosen a date and I'm not really a fan of lavender or light green. I'm not using them as my colors."

"And, Mrs. Clark, I'm not entirely o.k. with a spring wedding. I'll have training," Oliver offered.

"Oliver, your job is to show up and answer the questions with 'I do.' You have very little say in colors or planning," Camilla said.

"It's my wedding, too," Oliver countered. "And since I don't fancy getting married within a year, we'll just have to agree to table this for now."

Camilla started to protest, but Amelia cut her off and said, "Mum, we've got to get going. Oliver's got a team meeting and I'm scheduled to work today." Then, Amelia hung up before her mother could say anything further.

"Bloody hell!" Oliver exclaimed when they hung up.

"I warned you," Amelia sang. "Now, when do you have practice?"

"I'm due at the stadium in an hour for team meeting and then we have practice for a few hours after. I'll probably be late tonight at the stadium," he answered. "Why don't you apparate to Puddlemere after your shift at the shop?"

"Fine," Amelia said. She kissed Oliver chastely and left her flat for the shop where she was working. After only 3 days, she had managed to master her job fairly well. She was already able to be set to tasks without assistance from anyone else in the shop. She was restocking the shelves when one of her colleagues sauntered over to her.

"You're the new girl?" she asked.

"Clearly," she said. "You're the old girl?"

"Not entirely old, but I've been here awhile," he replied. "My name's Ella Pryce."

"Amelia Clark," she replied.

"Good to meet you, Amelia," Ella said. "When did you get out of school?"

"I graduated in June," Amelia replied. "I'm just working here until I figure out where I want to study."

"What are you hoping to get into?"

"Sports medicine," Amelia answered. She assumed that answering that she wanted to work for a quidditch team would only earn her weird looks. "Three of my brothers are football players and the fourth is at University to study medicine."

"You have 4 brothers?" Ella was shocked.

"Yeah," Amelia said. "And they're all older."

"Bloody hell! So where do your parents live?" Ella asked.

"Leeds," Amelia replied. "I grew up there and moved here to go to university, but decided to wait for a year before starting my studies." Amelia was about to continue when the bell rang that someone had entered the shop. Ella went back to the register to help the customer while Amelia continued checking the shelves. She was almost lost in thought when someone approached her. Amelia spent 20 minutes helping the customer find a particular book for her daughter before she realized that her shift was over.

As she was leaving work, Ella stopped her and said, "Some of us are going to pub for a drink tonight. Care to join?"

"I can't," Amelia said. "I'm meeting my fiancée at his flat to start looking for flats together."

"You're engaged?" Ella asked, perplexed.

"Yeah," Amelia replied. "We just got engaged a few days ago, and for now it was to calm my parents down about us moving in together, but it's what we want, and I'm fairly certain I'll stick with him for the rest of my life anyways."

"Fair enough," Ella said. "Maybe next time you'll come and bring this bloke along."

"Sure," Amelia promised. Then, she left the shop, stopped at her flat to gather some belongings and apparated to Puddlemere. She used the spare key Oliver had given her to open his door and let herself into his flat to wait. While she was waiting, she placed some of her things around and started dinner for when he got home.

And so, they developed a routine for the entire spring training season. Every week, they would spend a few nights at Amelia's flat in London and a few nights at Oliver's flat in Puddlemere. She would apparate back to London if she had to work, and he would apparate back to Puddlemere for training. Amelia wasn't entirely comfortable with the arrangement.

At the end of April, she received word from Fred and George that they had left school and were opening their own shop. She also received an offer to train with Puddlemere United as a healer, which led to a fight with Oliver about whether he had a hand in getting her the job (he did not).

"Ames, I promise, I didn't have anything to do with it," he shouted after several minutes of angry ranting. "I told you I wouldn't involve myself and I didn't. If you don't believe me, ask Mark when you meet him next week."

"I'm still not sure I believe you," she huffed.

"What you're saying, then, is that you don't trust me," he argued. "And if that's how you feel, we should both sleep alone tonight." With that, Oliver left her flat and apparated back to Puddlemere. She went to a pub in London, got drunk, and apparated to Diagon Alley, to the twins' flat.

"Oy! George!" she shouted. "Let me in!"

"What are you doing?" George asked looking out his window.

"I'm standing in the street and shouting," she answered. "Let me in."

In less than a minute, George was standing at the door to the shop, letting her in. "Alright, Clark, what has got you in a state?" he asked, showing her into his flat upstairs.

"Nothing," she answered.

"Where is Ollie-kins? Aren't you missing out on valuable snog time?" he teased.

She burst into tears and George immediately regretted teasing her about Oliver. "What happened?" he said, voice softening.

"We had a fight," she replied. "He said we should sleep alone tonight and apparated home to Puddlemere."

"Here," he said, shoving a glass into her hand. "Drink this."

"What is it?" She hesitated before drinking anything Fred or George gave to her after an unfortunate incident where she vomited all over her potions assignment.

"It's water," he promised. "Drink it and prevent a nasty hangover tomorrow." He dragged her into the sitting room and plopped them onto the sofa. "Now, tell Uncle Georgie what has you in such a state. What was the fight about?"

"I got a job offer from Puddlemere," she replied. "And then I accused him of getting me the job."

George looked down and noticed her engagement ring. "When did that happen?" he asked, pointing to her ring.

"February," she answered. "We haven't set a date yet, but he bugged me for months to move in with him, then I left the St. Mungo's program after the holidays and everything just spiraled out of control. It's moving so fast."

"Have you told him how you feel?" George asked.

"He doesn't want to hear it," she said. "Whenever I try, he changes the subject and…" She paused when they heard Fred coming home.

"Where was he?" she asked, finally noticing that George had been alone.

"He was out with a friend," George answered. "But we're not talking about Fred. How does Oliver change subject on you?"

"Usually, he snogs me, or shags me, or both," she slurred. "He doesn't listen when I say I'm not even sure I want to be a healer and he doesn't do anything to even try to help me figure out what I want to do with my life. He just says, 'when we're married, you won't have to work.' That's not what I want to hear." George produced a handkerchief for her to dry her eyes, since she was crying nearly uncontrollably.

"It'll be alright, Ames," George promised. "Just give it a day and talk to him tomorrow." He looked over and noticed that Amelia had fallen asleep, so he pulled a blanket over her and left her on the sofa.

In Puddlemere, Oliver went out to the pub with one of his teammates. "What's got you in a state, Wood?" Aidan asked.

"Nothing," Oliver said, trying to dodge the question.

"Try again, or it'll be extra laps tomorrow at training," Aidan warned. "What's got you in a state? You never come out to pub with us. Where's that bird you were seeing?"

"She's in London," Oliver said. "We had a fight and need a night to cool off."

"What was your fight about?"

"She thinks I pulled strings to get her into the healer training program with the team," Oliver admitted. "I didn't, but she doesn't seem to believe me."

"Why would she think you pulled strings?" Aidan asked.

"No clue, mate. She just said that she didn't believe me when I told her I didn't pull strings," Oliver replied. "It's really irritating since I've never lied to her."

"Has she ever lied to you?"

"It's hard to tell," Oliver admitted. "She says everything is fine, but she completely overreacted to this entire situation, which makes me think that everything is not fine. The really fucked up thing is that I don't care if she doesn't work with Puddlemere as a trainer. Now, I'm going home before one of those lasses over there does something I'll regret." With that, Oliver left Aidan at the bar and went home alone.

Amelia woke the next morning with a terrible bout of nausea. She scrambled through Fred and George's flat to find the bathroom and got sick. She was comforted when George held her hair back and handed her some water. "I told you to drink some last night," he teased.

"Shut up, George," Amelia ordered. "What time is it?"

"Half past ten," he replied.

Amelia threw up again and groaned heavily. George asked, "What is it?"

"Oliver and I were supposed to meet a realtor half an hour ago," she admitted. "He's probably wondering where the fuck I am."

"Where were you supposed to meet the realtor?"

"In Puddlemere," she answered.

"You're not fit to apparate that far," George warned. "I'll just go and let Wood know that you're sick and that you should reschedule your meeting."

George went to leave his flat and was surprised to find Oliver in the shop. "Hiya, Wood," he said. "Can I help you find something? Perhaps you're missing a bird?"

"Where is she, George?" Oliver asked, looking terribly worried.

"She's upstairs, mate," George answered. Oliver sped through the shop and up the stairs. In his haste, he did not hear George add, "Probably getting sick again."

When Oliver entered the flat, he heard Amelia getting sick in the loo and went to her, pulling her hair back. "George," she groaned, "I thought you were going to find Oliver."

"He found me," Oliver answered. "I came here looking for you when you weren't at your flat or at your job. What the hell did you do?"

"I got really drunk," she admitted. "Can you please not look at me like I'm a petulant 5 year old?"

"Come on," he said. "Let's get you home. We need to have a serious conversation."

"Yes to the conversation, but it should be on neutral territory," she suggested. "I don't want to do it at my flat or at your flat."

"Then, where do you propose we go? Fred and George have a shop to run, and I don't want to have this conversation in public," he argued.

"We can stay here," she said. "You said it yourself. Fred and George are running the shop. They won't mind and if they come back, we can leave."

Oliver considered the offer for a moment and finally sighed, then nodded. He took her to the sitting room and plopped them onto the sofa. "What is going on with you?" he asked.

"I don't know, Ol," she said. She looked over and saw him roll his eyes. "I know it's not what you want to hear." Her stomach rumbled, loudly.

"When did you last eat?"

"Yesterday," she replied. "I don't want anything, though."

"You need to eat, Ames," he insisted. "Let me buy you breakfast." He looked at his watch and added, "I mean, let me buy you lunch."

"I don't want anything," she repeated. She was hungry, but afraid to eat at the same time.

"Then let me make you toast." Amelia didn't have the opportunity to protest before Oliver strode into the kitchen and found the bread. He returned with some toast and a glass of water.

"You look like hell," he said. "What did you do last night?"

"You don't get to ask that," she said. "You left. When things got too…real or emotional, or whatever, you bolted."

"What did you want me to do, Ames? Wait around to hear you yell at me for things you imagined I did?" he shouted. "For fuck's sake, Amelia, I… Why would I stay to hear that?"

"Please don't shout," she begged, rubbing her temples.

"It's not my fault you drank yourself silly and wandered around London for Merlin knows how long," he mumbled.

"What was that?" she demanded.

"I said, it's not my fault you drank yourself silly," he repeated, angrily. "What were you thinking? You could have been hurt or kidnapped or who knows what else."

"You sound a lot like my mother, Oliver," she snarled.

They sat in a steely silence for a long while. She finally got up and went to leave. "Where are you going? We're not done yet," Oliver snapped.

"We haven't said anything for 5 minutes," she replied. "I'm leaving." She went to leave but Oliver stopped her.

"Wait!" he called. "Please, just talk to me Amelia. You haven't talked to me in weeks and don't think I don't know you've been getting out of bed to stare out the window. What has you freaking out? Is it moving in or getting engaged?"

"I don't know, maybe that's a part of it, but it's bigger, Ol," she replied, tears streaming down her face. "Since you were 9 you've known what you wanted to do and where you fit in."

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"Let me finish," she ordered. "You've known all your life who you are and what you want. I knew. I knew as a child I wanted to play football and I dealt with all the other girls laughing at me because I could light a cat on fire with a look or because I hung around with boys all the time.

"Then, I got the Hogwarts letter and the setting cats on fire thing was explained, but my whole world was turned upside down. It made more sense that I could do things that I couldn't explain, and I found a new identity, but when I got there, I lost who I was a little more each year.

"And then I met you and my world got flipped upside down again. In a day, I went from the girl no one knew to someone everyone knew and it scared me." He made a motion, but she stood and started pacing, holding a hand up to stop him. "It was wonderful, don't get me wrong. It IS wonderful and I love you more than anything, but Oliver, I don't know who I am anymore.

"I went to St. Mungo's because I thought I wanted to be a healer, but I'm not sure and I feel like my life is like a train jumping the tracks. I don't know what to do." She sat back on the sofa and sobbed. Oliver put his arm around her and pulled her into a large hug.

"What do you need?" he asked when she finally settled a little.

"I need time," she replied. "I need to figure out what I want. Until I do, I don't think we can live together."

"O.k. Are we still together?" he asked.

She giggled and said, "We are if you want to be."

"I do," he promised. He kissed her tenderly and only stopped when he heard someone clearing his throat from the other side of the room.

"Sorry to break up the party, but our Mum is on her way over," Fred said. "And George and I have a strict rule against sex in our sitting room."

"Fair enough," Oliver said.

Once in the street, Amelia turned to Oliver and said, "Where should we go now?"

"Perhaps we should take you home to shower and change," Oliver suggested. "You sort of look frightening." He chuckled and she slugged his arm.

"Thanks, Oliver. You really know how to convince a lady to want to get with you," she teased, but grabbed his hand and apparated with him to the alley behind her flat.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

She let them into her flat with her keys and went to the bathroom. A look in the mirror told her that Oliver was right about how she looked. Her hair was flat and matted and her face was tear stained. She almost wouldn't blame him for ditching her in that state. She turned on the water and undressed. Then, she stood under the hot water for as long as she dared. When she got out, she brushed her teeth and pulled on some clean clothes.

Oliver was in the sitting room when she came out. "Feeling better?" he asked.

"Yes, thanks," she replied. "What's that?" She pointed to a package that Oliver had behind him.

"This is something I ran out for while you were in the shower," he said.

"I wasn't in there that long," she protested.

"Love, I've been gone for half an hour, but it's fine. It gave me time to get this." He presented her with a guitar. "I don't know if you play, but when I heard you sing, it was one of the sweetest sounds I've ever heard. You should think about music."

"I can't make that my career, Oliver," she said. "It's just not practical."

"I don't care about the practical," he replied. "This isn't about practicality; it's about dreams and whimsy. Have you ever played?"

"I have," she answered. "I took lessons for a few years. I never thought I was any good, though."

"Well, give it a go," he suggested.

She picked up the guitar and started to tune it; then, she played the few chords she remembered, but gave it up quickly. "Why did you stop?" Oliver asked.

"I don't know any other chords," she replied, blushing. "It's been a long time since I've had any lessons. But thank you, Oliver. I love it."

"I'm glad," he said. "Is there anything you want to do?"

"I don't know," she said. Then, her stomach grumbled loudly.

"Other than toast, what have you eaten today?"

"Nothing," she said.

"Come on. Let me feed you," he offered. She hesitated for a moment and he added, "Look, I know you want space and time and I'll give it to you, but just let me get you something to eat. No strings attached, I promise."

"Fair enough." She took his hand and let him lead her to their favorite pub near her house. When they arrived, a few of the patrons patted Amelia on the back and congratulated her for her performance. She had no recollection of doing any performances and blanched.

"Want to get out of here?" Oliver whispered.

"Please," she whispered back.

Oliver led her back into the street. "So, I guess it's fair to say you were drinking in that pub last night," he teased. "What did you do?"

"I have no idea," she whined. "And before you ask, I have no idea what I drank or how much. I only remember going to the twins' flat and passing out on George. I woke up on the sofa this morning with a blistering headache and the urge to vomit."

"And vomit you did, apparently," Oliver joked.

"Shut up," she ordered. She had led them to a small diner not far from where she lived. They sat in a booth and each ordered food. While they were waiting, an awkward silence settled over the table.

"This is really awkward, isn't it?" Oliver said, breaking the silence.

"Yeah, but it feels like it shouldn't be. It's not as if we don't know each other," she said, trying to lighten the mood and failing. Luckily, their food arrived quickly so they could fill the silence with eating. When they finished, Oliver insisted on walking Amelia home.

"I'm sorry," she said when they were in her flat. "About everything. I wish things were completely different. I wish I knew what I wanted." She had started crying again and Oliver held her face in his hands and wiped the tears with his thumbs.

"I know," he said. Then, he pulled her into a tight hug and they both cried for what seemed like hours. Finally, Oliver pulled away and made an excuse to leave.

"Wait!" Amelia called. She slid her engagement ring off her finger and offered it to Oliver. "I don't know if I should keep this."

"Keep it for now," he suggested. "We'll give this a few weeks. After that, if you want, I'll take it back. I'll see you on the weekend." She nodded and kissed him goodbye.

When Oliver was gone, she slid onto the floor and wailed for hours. Eventually, she found her way to bed and fell asleep. She woke to her phone ringing and answered it. Her mother had called her several times the day before and was terribly upset. "I'm sorry, Mum," she said. "Oliver and I had a huge fight and I needed some time."

"What did you fight about?" Camilla asked.

"It started over whether he pulled strings to get me a job with his team, but it was never about that," Amelia admitted. "It was always about I don't know what I want to do and Oliver got blamed."

"So what happened after?" Camilla pressed.

"Oliver left; I got drunk and then we agreed to take a break from house hunting and even thinking about wedding planning," Amelia explained. She looked at the clock and added, "Mum, I really have to go. I'm due at work soon."

"Call me," Camilla ordered. "And for goodness sake, Amelia, call or write to Oliver."

"I'm going to see him on the weekend," she promised. "That's only 2 days away. And he doesn't have a phone." Amelia hung up and went to work.

She passed the next few days in much the same manner. She'd cry herself to sleep, get up, and go to work. She wasn't living, so much as existing. On Friday, she finished her shift and declined another invitation to go out with her work friends, but promised that she would try to get Oliver to go out the following night. She went home and took extra care to shower and primp herself for when Oliver would arrive. She was just finishing her hair when he came into her room; he had let himself in with the keys she had given him.

"You look amazing," he said, startling her.

"Thanks," she answered. "And you really have to stop sneaking up on me."

"But it's so much fun." He plopped onto her bed and waited while she finished. "So, what's on the agenda?" he asked.

"I thought we could go out for a bit and then come back here to watch a movie and snog," she offered.

"Sounds good to me, but perhaps we could skip the going out and the movie and just snog," he countered.

She plopped onto her bed next to Oliver. "I'll have you know that by doing this, I'm undoing several hours of pretty," she teased.

"I'm terribly sorry, love," he said; then, he leaned over her and kissed her. Suddenly, going out became a really bad idea and they ended up staying in.

After a while, they were lying in bed and Amelia turned to Oliver and asked, "Would you mind meeting up with my work friends tomorrow night? They've been bugging me to go out with them for ages."

"Not at all," he promised. "I'd be happy to meet your friends."

"Good," she said. "Now that's settled, I've got a surprise for you. Wait right here." She leapt out of bed, threw on Oliver's shirt and some knickers, and scampered to the sitting room. She returned carrying the guitar Oliver had bought her. "I've been practicing," she said. Then, she started playing the few songs that she had learned since she had last seen Oliver.

"You should apply to music school," Oliver suggested when she stopped playing.

"What makes you say that?" she asked.

"Your face lit up brighter than I've seen it in ages," he said. "You just look happy playing."

"What if I try and I find out that I'm not good?" she asked.

"Amelia, if you believe nothing else I've ever said to you, believe this. You are amazingly talented," he promised. "You're very good and it's just a suggestion." He cradled her face in his hands and kissed her sweetly. Amelia put the guitar in a chair and returned to her bed.

"Are you hungry?" Oliver asked an hour later.

"A bit," she replied, and her stomach grumbled loudly. "O.k., more than a bit."

"We should get food," he offered.

"Probably," she whispered. "But I'm very comfortable where I am."

"As comfortable as I am, love, we both need to eat if we're going for round 3," he joked. "Come on. Let's get up and get some food. Then we can do whatever you want."

They did go and get food. The next night, they met up with Ella and some of Amelia's other work friends at a nearby pub. On Sunday, Oliver had to return to Puddlemere. "When do you have a few days off again?" he asked.

"Next week, starting Sunday," she replied. "I have Tuesday off, but I work tomorrow and Wednesday until Sunday. Then, I'm off Sunday until Wednesday. Why?"

"Come to Puddlemere for those few days," he offered. "I have a home game that I'm playing for and I'd like for you to come."

"I'd love to," she promised.

And so, Amelia and Oliver worked out a system that allowed them to be together on nearly all weekends. When Oliver had away games, Amelia would often stay home or go and visit her parents or brothers.

When she finally did go with Oliver to an away game, it was only because he insisted she come with him. Puddlemere was set to play the Appleby Arrows and Amelia was set to have a few days off work. She agreed after Oliver pouted for an hour. When she arrived at the stadium, she got sat with the rest of the players' families. A few girls nearby commented on Oliver's looks and insinuated that they wanted to get with him and Amelia allowed herself a smug smirk, since she knew that he was coming home with her.

After the game, Oliver and Amelia joined the team in a victory celebration at a pub near the stadium. When the party finally dispersed, Amelia and Oliver apparated back to his flat in Puddlemere for the night. She convinced Oliver to take his ring back, but he vowed to keep it and give it back to her when she was ready.

Over the summer, Amelia decided to apply to music school. She had an audition and was accepted for the fall semester. When she started school, she was excited. Oliver was waiting for her when she got back from the first day. "So, how was it?" he asked, expectantly.

"It was really great," she answered, smiling broadly. "I'm glad you suggested it."

"Then, I'm glad too," he replied. "So, in honor of a successful first day, I think a celebration is in order." He pulled a bottle of champagne out of the fridge and poured them each a glass. "A toast to successful new adventures," he said, raising his glass. She mimicked his actions and they drank together.

Puddlemere finished the season at the top of the British league and Amelia found herself going with Oliver to the end of season ball. Since the ball was to be held in London, they both agreed that Oliver would simply stay over after the ball at Amelia's flat. He arrived early on the day of the ball and dropped off his bag. When Amelia was just about ready, she called him into her room to help finish the zipper on her dress. "Wow," he stammered.

"Do I look horrible?" she asked, a nervous look on her face. She was wearing a strapless navy dress with silver sparkles on it that made it look like the night sky. She had paired it with sapphire earrings and the necklace that Oliver had bought her for Christmas the year before.

"No," he whispered. "You look… Wow!"

"Is that a good 'Wow?'" she continued.

"Absolutely," he said. He grasped her face and kissed her fiercely.

She pulled back and said, "If you keep that up, we won't make it to the ball and I've spent hours getting ready and I've got it on good authority that you're to be named the Rookie of the Year."

"If you insist," he groaned. He took her hand and led her to an apparition point. Then, they apparated to the hall where the ball was to be held. Amelia became nervous as she walked the purple carpet behind Oliver. There were several photographers and they were all clamoring for a picture of Oliver and Amelia.

"Just relax," Oliver said. "You're perfect."

"Thanks," she whispered.

It seemed like forever before they finally made it into the hall. Oliver found their table and held Amelia's chair for her when she sat. Then, he went to get them each a drink from the bar. He returned carrying 2 glasses of white wine.

"No beer?" she teased.

"Not tonight," he joked. "Nothing but the classiest for this establishment."

During dinner, the awards were presented, including the Rookie of the Year award that Oliver won. After dinner, there was dancing and Amelia let Oliver lead her onto the dance floor. While they were dancing, she looked at her hand and said, "I think I'm missing something."

"What are you missing?" he asked.

"I think I'm missing jewelry on my left hand," she concluded. "Do you still have it?"

"Let's talk about this later," he suggested.

Amelia, convinced that Oliver would want to break up with her, said, "Sure. How soon can we leave?"

"We can leave anytime," he promised. "Do you want to go now?"

"Yes please," she said. He took her hand and grabbed his trophy from their table before leading her to the apparition point and apparating them back to her flat.

"What made you ask tonight?" he said when they were inside her flat.

"I don't know," she said. "It just felt right, Ol."

"I can't give it to you and worry that you'll just give it back again," he protested. "I won't do it. If you're at all unsure about this, I'd rather wait. It's not even been six months since you said it was too early. What has changed?"

"I love you, Ol," she reasoned. "That hasn't changed and I know it's not going to change. In the summer, I was scared. I had no direction and you know how that annoys the crap out of me. You gave me the time I needed to figure out where I want to be and you pointed me in the direction I want my life to go. I want to be wherever you are."

"Let's give it a few more months," he suggested. "If at Christmas you're still sure, I'll give it back."

Amelia felt like she'd been socked in the gut. She promised herself that she would not let Oliver see her cry. "Fine," she said. She went to her room and slammed the door shut. She managed to wiggle out of her dress without any help from Oliver and curled up in her bed. She ignored Oliver's repeated knocks.

When she woke the next morning, she ventured out of her room to find that Oliver had left. She was incredibly disappointed when she noticed that he didn't even leave a note. She went to shower and get dressed as she was due at work. By the time she left, Oliver still had not been back and his overnight bag was sitting in her room. While at work, she debated on whether to take it to him or let him come back and get it himself.

She let herself into her flat, still unsure of what to do with Oliver's things, to hear her phone ringing. She picked it up and found her mother, hysterical, on the other end. "Amelia! You've got to come home right away!" Camilla cried.

"What's going on, Mum?" Amelia asked; she assumed it must be something bad since her mother rarely sounded like this.

"It's your father, Amelia. He's at hospital," she continued. "He's been in an accident."

"I'll be there as soon as I can, Mum," Amelia promised. She immediately started getting her things together, and suddenly Oliver's overnight bag didn't seem so important. She did send off a quick message to him that she was heading to Leeds and she anticipated being there for several days. Then, she called her work and explained that she needed to go home for her dad.

She apparated to her parents' house and dropped off her bag before apparating to the hospital. She found her mother pacing nervously by the lifts. "Mum," she called. "I'm here." She ran to her mother and pulled her into a hug. "When are the lads getting here?"

"Brandon and Maria are on the next train, Jaime and Mike went to get something to eat, and Jack is coming in tomorrow," Camilla explained. "How long can you stay?"

"As long as you need me," Amelia promised.

"What about Oliver?" Camilla asked.

"I sent him a note that I was coming here and I haven't heard from him yet," Amelia said. "He'll be fine." And so, they settled into a routine. Amelia's father had to have emergency surgery and was in a coma; so the family agreed that one of them should always be at the hospital.

Amelia was alone with her dad a few days later and dozing in a chair in his room when Oliver walked in and woke her up. "How are you?" he asked.

"I'm sorry for not calling or owling sooner," she started.

"Don't be," Oliver promised. "This is far more important right now. How are you doing?"

Amelia nodded at her sleeping father and let Oliver lead her into the hallway. "Honestly, I've been better. I'm glad you're here. How did you find me?"

"I stopped by your Mum's house first. Brandon told me where you were," he replied. "What can I do?" He pulled her into a tight hug and waited for a response.

"You're already doing it," she said. "Thank you." She pulled back and wiped the tears from her eyes. "I've been trying really hard to hold it together for Mum, but I've never been more scared in my life, Ol."

"How's he doing?" he asked.

"The doctors think he'll be o.k., but they're not sure," she answered. "They'll know more when he wakes up. How long are you staying?"

"As long as you need me to," he promised. "I'm sorry about what happened at the ball."

Oliver went to continue, but Amelia interrupted. "Can we talk about that later? I mean I just need my focus to be on my dad right now."

"Sure, love," Oliver whispered. He kissed her forehead and held onto her until she pulled back and went to see to her dad. Oliver followed her into the hospital room. "Bloody hell," he whispered. "What is everything for?"

"That machine is monitoring his pulse rate," she explained. "And that pump is giving him medicine. The good news is that he's breathing on his own."

"Could you heal him with your wand?" Oliver asked.

"I don't know how," she admitted. "They don't teach that in the first term at healer training. Oh, fuck! What if I made a mistake in dropping out?"

"Calm down," Oliver ordered. "You were miserable in that program and your father wouldn't want you to be miserable."

"But I should have finished the year," she wailed.

"Amelia, listen to the boy," Camilla ordered from the door. "He's right; your father would rather you do something that makes you happy."

"But, Mum, what if I…" She trailed off.

"No, Amelia," Camilla ordered. "No what ifs. Your father and I are both glad that you've found what makes you happy."

"Thank you," she said, trying not to cry and failing.

"Let me feed you," he offered. "You need to eat." She nodded and they told her mother they were leaving before they left the hospital. Oliver took her to a small pub near the hospital and ordered them each sandwiches and coffees.

"No beer?" she teased.

"Only the classiest at this fine establishment," he joked.

"Will you stay with me tonight?" she asked.

"Will your brothers try to mutilate me in my sleep?" he countered.

"Most definitely," she said. "But I'd still really like you to stay."

"Of course I'll stay," he promised. "And when we go back to London, we can talk about the other stuff."

"Thanks, but I'd like to stay here until my dad is out of the hospital," she said. "I quit the book shop yesterday and I've called in to my professors at the music school, so that's no excuse right now."

"Fair enough," he replied. "In that case, we'll talk whenever you're ready."

"Maybe we could take a walk after tea tonight and talk then," she offered. He nodded, paid the bill, and walked her home.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Amelia and Oliver walked into her house to find her brothers fighting over who was going to cook dinner. "I'll do it," she said, ending the argument. "Just all go to your corners." She set to making dinner, with Oliver's help.

"When we're done, do you want to sneak out to your tree house?" Oliver suggested.

"What did you have in mind for that adventure?" she teased.

"I thought we could talk about things," he said. "It will give us privacy, at least for a while."

She nodded and led Oliver to her room to drop off his belongings while dinner was cooking. Then, they joined her brothers in the sitting room until it was time to eat. Amelia's brothers started to pester Oliver, but she cut them off.

After dinner was done, Amelia ordered her brothers to do the dishes and she and Oliver went to the tree house. "What has you looking so scared?" he asked.

"What they're not telling us about my dad," she said. "I'm worried his condition is worse than anyone is letting on." Oliver had sat with his back against the wall and she sat next to him, leaning her head on his shoulder. He grabbed her hand and entwined their fingers together.

"I'm sorry," he said, quietly. "I wish I could do more to fix it."

"Oliver, can I ask you something?" she said after a few minutes of silence.

"You can ask anything you want," he promised.

"Can we not talk about us tonight? I need one night of just knowing that we're o.k. right now," she begged.

"We are o.k.," he said. "We always have been o.k. We each just needed a night alone. And for tonight, we can talk about anything you want. Everything else will wait."

"Will you sleep with me tonight?" she asked.

"Of course, but you have to promise to keep your brothers from bludgeoning me," he joked.

"I thought I've told you already that I won't be able to keep my brothers from bludgeoning you," she teased. "But, really, I'll keep them off your back."

They sat in companionable silence for a few minutes. Then, Amelia turned to Oliver and said, "I got a call yesterday from one of my instructors."

"And?"

"I've been offered a gig," she said, triumphantly. "I'll be playing at a pub on a Saturday night after I get back to London. Will you come?"

"Nothing can keep me away," he promised. "Are you ready to go inside?"

She nodded and Oliver stood; then he helped her up and they climbed out of the tree house and returned to the main house. What Amelia saw only made her want to go back to the tree house. "What the hell is wrong with you lot?" she shouted. "I asked you to do one bloody thing and you've now left the dishes for me to clean?"

"But you can do magic," Jack whined. Mike, Jaime, and Brandon all had the decency to look rather sheepish.

"In that case, Jack, I'll hex you until you go and wash the dishes," she threatened. She even pulled her wand but Brandon led the way and forced the others to help him clean the kitchen and put away the dishes. Amelia led Oliver up the stairs to her room where new tears threatened to spill.

"What do you need?" he asked.

"I need my dad to be o.k.; I need my mum to come home and beat that lot senseless, and I really need a bath," she cried.

"Alright. The first two, I can't really help. But the last, can be arranged. I'll go draw you a bath," he promised. She lay on her bed while Oliver went and got the bath ready for her. When he returned, he carried her into the bathroom and let her have a nice soak.

"Where is Amelia?" Brandon asked from her doorway. Oliver had plopped himself on her bed and was reading a book.

"In the bath," he answered. "And if you disturb her, I will make your life hell."

"I have no intention of disturbing her," Brandon promised. "I came to apologize for our behavior earlier."

"It's fine, Bran," Amelia said from behind him. "I'm going to bed since I've got the early shift at hospital tomorrow." She tossed Brandon from her room and climbed into her bed. Oliver got up and tossed his trousers and shirt off. Then, he climbed into bed with her.

"Marry me," Oliver whispered to her.

"I thought we weren't talking about us tonight," she scolded.

"I'm not talking; I'm asking," Oliver said. "And if the last few days have taught us anything, it's that life is fragile. Marry me?"

"Yes," she answered. "Do you have it?"

"Of course," he promised. He leapt out of bed and grabbed her ring from his pocket. "Promise not to give it back again?"

"Of course," she replied. He slid the ring onto her finger and they went to sleep happy.

Amelia woke and found that she had rolled on top of Oliver in the night. She looked down and noticed him waking. "Is this why you stripped to your pants before bed?" she asked.

"Yes, love," he answered. "You frequently find you way on top of me in the night. Usually, I roll you off, but apparently I didn't."

"I'm sort of glad you didn't," she said, taking full advantage of the fact that she was in a good position to snog him silly.

He had just flipped them over and started on her shirt when Jack burst in the door. "What is going on?" he shouted.

"Bloody hell, Jack, get out!" Amelia ordered.

"Shut up, Amelia," Jack countered. "I'm here making sure you lot aren't doing anything Mum and Dad would disapprove of."

"And it's none of your business," Amelia growled. She had gotten out of her bed and was standing toe to toe with her brother. "Now, get out of my room."

Jack glared until Oliver added, "Look, we have to get dressed for our shift at hospital with your dad. Leave so she can change and I can nip into the shower." Jack was not thrilled, but he appreciated Oliver's logic and left, but not before throwing a murderous glare at Oliver.

Amelia and Oliver arrived at the hospital and sent her mother home for some much needed rest. Oliver fetched them coffees from the hospital café and chatted with her. They were tossed from the room for a brief period so that the doctors could run some tests.

"Marry me tomorrow," Oliver suggested.

"Ol, there are so many things wrong with that suggestion that I wouldn't know where to begin," she protested.

"Start listing them at random," he ordered.

"We don't have a license, I don't have a dress, your parents are in Scotland and my father's not even out of a coma yet," she started. "And don't forget that we don't have a venue, a cake, flowers, or anything else, and we got engaged last night. Not to mention that until yesterday, we weren't sure about getting married at all. Once it's done, it can't be undone."

"We can get a license and you'll look beautiful no matter what you wear. My parents can apparate here and I don't need any of the other stuff," he reasoned. "As far as being sure, I've been sure I wanted to marry you for years, Ames. I need you and I need to know that if forever ends next week I got to marry you. Is there anyone other than my parents that you would want here that isn't here?"

"No," she answered, truthfully. "But I'm still not sure about tomorrow."

"Marry him," they heard her father say.

"Daddy!" she cried. "You're awake?"

"For about half of that conversation," he mumbled. "Marry that boy tomorrow. You can do it here."

"But Mum and the rest," she started.

"They'll be here, Amelia. Marry that boy and do it as soon as possible," Joseph ordered.

"Fine, but Oliver has to tell Mum, and we should call her and tell her you're awake," Amelia said. Oliver was already on the phone to her mum.

"She's on her way," he said when he hung up. "I'm going to step out for a moment, but I'll be right back." Oliver left the hospital and went to get a marriage license; then, he apparated to his parents' home in East Kilbride.

"Mum! Da!" he called. "Where are you?"

"We're here," Jane replied. "What's going on? Did something happen with Amelia?"

"Yes and no," he answered. "Something's happened, but it's something good. Her father was in an accident a few days ago, so she's been in Leeds. I came to her yesterday and we got engaged. You should probably sit down." He noticed that his parents were standing in the front room and assumed that they would be marginally upset by the news that he was planning to marry the next day.

"We're getting married tomorrow," Oliver stated.

His parents gasped and then his father shouted, "What is wrong with you, Oliver? Did you get that girl pregnant?"

"No, Da, but if her father's accident has taught me anything it's that life is fleeting and I'd rather have a day of being married to her than a lifetime of regretting that I didn't do it when I had the chance," Oliver explained calmly. "I've loved her for years, Da. And everything else, we can work out."

"You'll want us there?" Jane asked.

"Of course, Mum," Oliver said. "That's why I'm here. I want you and Da to come to Leeds tomorrow. Her father's in the hospital, in room 346."

"What time?" Jane asked.

"Be there at one o'clock," he said. "I've got to get back." Then, he apparated back to Leeds and walked into the hospital hallway to hear Camilla shouting.

"What do you mean you're getting married tomorrow?!"

"Mum," Amelia started, "we want to get married. Daddy said we should."

"It's true," Joseph groaned.

Camilla turned and noticed that Oliver had joined the group in Joseph's hospital room. She glared at him until he stepped to Amelia's side. "And where have you been?" Camilla demanded.

"I've been getting this," he said. He pulled out the marriage license. "It won't, strictly speaking, be legal for 2 weeks, but we can get married tomorrow. I've also gotten a justice to perform the wedding and stopped by my parents' house to invite them."

"You're really doing this?" Camilla asked.

"That's the plan," Oliver said; Amelia nodded.

"Alright," Camilla sighed. "You should go and get something appropriate to wear, Amelia."

"Yes, Mum," Amelia replied. "Come on, Ol. You get to go dress shopping with me again." She grabbed his hand and dragged him out of the hospital.

They left the hospital and went to a shop nearby. Amelia refused to show Oliver any of the dresses and insisted that he simply wait for her while she tried them on. She eventually chose a very simple dress in light pink. Then, she asked whether he had a suit with him. When he answered that he did not, she took him to get him proper attire for an elopement.

An hour later, she ducked them into an alley to apparate back to her parents' house to drop off their clothes and then back to the hospital. Her brothers were there and all, but Jack, offered Oliver pats on the back and congratulations. Jack didn't say anything, but glared. Amelia whispered to Oliver, "Give me a minute." He nodded and she took Jack into the hallway.

"I know this is sudden, Jack," she started.

"It's not like you," he said. "What happened to my little sister?"

"She grew up and isn't a child anymore," she said. "And I wish you could just be happy for me for once."

"I'm happy for you, Ames, and I'm scared for you, too," Jack admitted. "I just don't want to see you hurt again."

"I won't get hurt again," she promised. "I won't let it happen."

"Then promise me this," Jack said. "Name your first child after me." She giggled and smacked her brother on his arm; he smirked at her and put her in a headlock. "Seriously, Ames, promise me that if it gets bad or doesn't work out, you'll call me."

"I promise," she said.

"Jack," Oliver said, startling them both. "I'm going to need a best man tomorrow. Will you?"

"Sure," Jack promised. "But know this, Wood. If you hurt so much as a hair on her head I will murder you in ways you can't even imagine."

"Fair enough," Oliver replied.

Jack left Oliver and Amelia in the hallway. "Thank you," she said. "For including Jack."

"He obviously cares a lot about you," Oliver said. "And it's important to me to include your family members as much as possible. Not to mention that I don't have any siblings and I've no intention of bringing any of my teammates in."

"I still appreciate it," she said. "And Jack appreciates it."

"I heard what he said," Oliver admitted. "And just to ease your pretty mind, I've no intention of ever hurting you again."

"You have to promise you won't run," she said. "Whenever we get into a fight, you run and I need to know you'll stick around and fight with me."

"I promise," he said. "So, are you hungry? I think the rest of them are planning to get something to eat."

"Yeah," she answered.

They left with her brothers and went to get food. When they returned, her mother informed them that she had managed to reserve the hospital chapel for the next day so that they could get married. Oliver and Amelia were touched by her efforts.


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

The next morning, Amelia woke alone. Oliver had left a note on her pillow that he had gone out for a bit but would meet her at the hospital later that day. He had gone to make sure that she would have flowers with her for the ceremony and he wanted to get a cake for the family, since Amelia had mentioned both of them.

He arrived at the hospital, with his suit, the flowers, and the cake just before his parents. He met them in the lobby and had them follow him up to Joseph's room. "Da, could you carry this, please?" he asked, handing him the cake.

"You're really doing this?" Jane asked.

"Yes, Mum," he insisted. "We want to get married and I'd rather have 5 minutes of wonderful than a lifetime of regret. I'm marrying her today."

"And you don't want your family there?" she pressed.

"You and Da are here," he protested. "That's all the family I need, and since it's a muggle wedding, we can have a ministry service when the war is over."

"What war?" Jane asked.

"The war that's about to start now that everyone knows You-Know-Who is back," he said. Jane silently wondered when her son had gotten so wise. She couldn't believe that the little boy who flew around on his toy broomstick and cried when he had to get off was the man standing before her. She also couldn't believe that the teenager who never seemed to have time for girls before he met Amelia was getting married.

Amelia was at the hospital when Oliver arrived. She left the group in her father's room to get into her dress while Oliver changed into his suit. Just as she finished, the justice of the peace showed up and the group was directed to the chapel for the service. Oliver had handed her the flowers, for which she was very grateful.

Amelia's father, in a wheelchair, led her down the aisle, pushed by Brandon. Jack stood next to Oliver and Maria, Brandon's wife, stood next to Amelia. The ceremony was brief, but it was exactly what both Oliver and Amelia wanted. Afterwards, they shared the cake that Oliver had brought and then, Oliver and Amelia returned to London.

"So, all in all, one of our better days," he said when they landed in the alley by her flat.

"Yes," she said. "One of our best days."

"Can I carry you in?" he asked.

"Old fashioned, cheeky bugger," she teased. "And yes, you may." He scooped her up and carried her into her flat. He set her down and kissed her softly; she grabbed his arm and tugged him into the bedroom.

An hour later, Amelia turned to Oliver and said, "I'm going to finish school in May, if I go over the Christmas holidays."

"And then, we can look for flats," he said.

"I'd really like that," she said, "But perhaps, we could look for flats sooner rather than later."

"You're sure?" he asked.

"Oliver, we just got married. Of course I'm sure I want to live with you," she replied. "Now, I think we've talked enough. It's time for round 2." She straddled him and made love to him, again.

After a few hours in bed, Oliver got up and decided it was time for dinner. "Where can I take you out?" he offered.

"It doesn't matter," she replied. "We can eat here even."

"No, we have to do something special; it's our wedding night," he scolded.

"Yes, but here, we could eat in our current state of undress. If we go out, that will require clothes," she whined.

"True, but it's our wedding night and it should be special. So, why don't you put that lovely dress back on while I get into my suit and we'll go and have a nice dinner, followed, perhaps, by dancing, and then we can spend the rest of tonight and tomorrow naked," Oliver offered.

"That does sound rather nice," she mused. She got up and donned her dress while Oliver got back into his suit. Then, they went out into London. Oliver took them to Diagon Alley for dinner at a small wizarding restaurant that also had a dance floor. As they were strolling back down the alley, they ran into Fred and George.

"It's good to see you lot are still together," Fred teased. "And dressed so fancy. Are we celebrating?"

"We are," Oliver replied. "We're celebrating a very important occasion."

"And what, pray tell, is that occasion?" George asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

"Nothing so salacious," Amelia promised. "Just that we got married this afternoon."

George and Fred shared perplexed looks. "Is this the same girl that turned up at our flat in the middle of the night smashed out of her mind because things were moving too fast?" George asked.

"It is, but since then, I've realized that this is what I want, and my father was in an accident and nearly died," she said. "I'd rather have this for a day than regret not doing it for a lifetime."

"Couldn't have said it better myself," Oliver stated, with a cheeky grin. "Now, I'm about to take this lovely bird dancing. Where would I do that around here?"

"We're just off to pub, but I've heard there's a new club down the alley," Fred suggested.

Oliver and Amelia thanked Fred and George and set off walking. They found the club and quickly left. Instead, they joined Fred and George at the Leaky Cauldron for drinks. Eventually, they left the pub and returned home. They ended up spending the rest of the night and the next day naked before Amelia had to return to classes.

They had managed to work out a Christmas schedule that would allow them some time with both families since Amelia would have no classes from December 24 to the 27th. When they arrived in Leeds, the entire family was there, including Amelia's aunts and uncles. Some of them were shocked when Camilla let her and Oliver share a bedroom until Jack stepped in and told them that she and Oliver had eloped. The family was then even more shocked.

They had the same reaction from Oliver's family when they found out that the pair had eloped and gotten married on, what his aunt called, a whim. His grandfather stepped in and insisted that they get the good present that year, since they had been married. There was only minor grumbling from the rest of the family.

In February, Amelia and Oliver managed to find a flat near Puddlemere that they both loved and moved in just before Valentine's Day. For the Valentine's Day dinner, Oliver opened the bottle of very expensive champagne they got from his grandfather for Christmas.

In June, they received word that Professor Dumbledore had been killed in a battle at the school and they went to Hogwarts for the funeral. There, Amelia ran into Kate and Charity, whom she hadn't seen since graduation, while Oliver was chatting with some of his mates. "Bloody hell, Ames, you look fantastic," Charity said.

"Cheers," Amelia replied. "You look well yourself. How've you been?"

"Good," Charity answered. "How's healer training?"

"I dropped out after the first term," Amelia explained. "I really hated it. Now, I've just graduated from music school and I'm playing a few gigs in London and Puddlemere."

"Puddlemere?" Kate questioned.

"Yes, I'm back with Oliver," Amelia said, rolling her eyes. She then explained to Kate and Charity how she and Oliver had gotten back together and eloped in the fall. "We just wanted simple and it worked out quite nicely."

"Who was there?" Charity asked.

"Our parents and my brothers and sister-in-law," Amelia answered. "No one else, and it was a muggle service."

Oliver had joined the group and Charity glared at him. "Don't give me that look, Charity," Oliver ordered. "If you learn nothing else from today, learn that life is fleeting and we made a decision to do something to make us happy."

"Of course you did," Kate chimed. "And we're happy for you. Now, I've got to be getting back to Cardiff and Charity, you need to be getting back to Stratford. We'll owl soon. We should meet up in London."

"I'd really like that," Amelia said. "Maybe you'll come and hear me play." Kate promised to try to make it, but Charity simply fumed.

"What's got her wand in a knot?" Oliver asked.

"No idea," Amelia replied. "We should be getting back to Puddlemere. Don't you have a match tomorrow?"

"Yes," he said. They took hands and apparated to their flat near Puddlemere.

A month later, the ministry of magic was overthrown. Oliver was at a game when Percy Weasley approached him. "Oliver," Percy said, "Do you have a moment?"

"Sure," Oliver replied. "What's going on, Perce?"

Percy looked around to make sure that they hadn't been followed. "It's the ministry. They're making big changes and they haven't announced this yet, but there are going to be threats to muggle borns. I understand that you and Amelia live together?"

"Aye," Oliver corrected. "We've been living together for almost a year."

"Then you'll both have to go into hiding," Percy warned. "If you don't she's likely to end up in Azkaban. They're going to question muggle borns about how they stole the magic."

"Why are you telling me this?" Oliver asked.

"Because," Percy answered, "I was always quite fond of Amelia and I don't want to see either of you get hurt. Get in touch with my brothers, but don't tell them I sent you. They'll help you out." With that, Percy apparated away and left Oliver confused.

Oliver went home and found Amelia in the sitting room with her guitar. He sat down with her and said, "We have to have a serious conversation."

"We haven't done that since we broke up," Amelia said, suddenly nervous.

"It's nothing bad and I'm not breaking up with you," he promised. "At least, it's nothing bad that either of us can control. I saw Percy Weasley after the match. He had a warning. There are going to be big changes at the ministry soon.

"He thinks that they're going to make muggle-born witches and wizards register with a committee and submit themselves to questioning. If the ministry doesn't like their answers, and he's certain that they won't, the witch or wizard will be placed in Azkaban. He suggested that you may need to go into hiding."

Amelia sat in silence for several long minutes. Oliver got so nervous that he poured them each a healthy measure of whiskey. "I won't go into hiding," she protested.

"Love, you may need to. I'll need to know you're safe and if you go, you won't go alone," he promised. "I'll be with you. I'll want to protect you."

"I haven't needed your protection in years," she teased. "When will we have to go?"

"We should be fine for the summer, but he got me thinking that perhaps you should start booking gigs out of the country," he said, seriously.

"What about my parents and brothers?" she asked.

"We'll set up whatever enchantments we can to protect them," he promised. "We can do fidelius charms, but neither of us should be secret keeper."

"Who would you suggest?" she asked.

"My Da," Oliver replied. "If we use a fidelius charm for your location and I somehow get captured, they'll torture me to tell them and while I'd die to protect you, it'll be easier if I can't tell them where you are."

"Why do they hate me?" She started crying and Oliver moved behind her and massaged her shoulders.

"They can't hate you; they don't know you," he replied. "They are stupid and frightened of people who are different than they are. It doesn't mean anything."

"And if you weren't with me?" she asked.

"It doesn't matter, because I am with you," he promised.

"If I wasn't around, you wouldn't have to even think about going into hiding, would you?"

"Probably not," he said. "That doesn't mean that I wouldn't fight for the rights of muggle borns, and it doesn't matter because my life is better when you're in it."

"Thanks," she whispered. She finished her drink and wandered to their bedroom. Oliver followed immediately.

"You know I won't let them hurt you," he promised.

"I know but I wish you didn't have to," she said.

"I know," he answered. "I haven't said it today, so I love you."

"Romantic sod," she teased. "And I love you, too."

The time came when Amelia and Oliver did need to go into hiding. They were able to locate a house in the Scottish highlands that belonged to one of Oliver's relatives and with the help of Fred, George and the Order of the Phoenix, they set up as many protective charms as possible. They ended up choosing George as their Secret Keeper when they protected the home with the fidelius charm. Amelia was terribly nervous about Oliver's career until the quidditch season was canceled due to the war.

They were both at Hogwarts for the final battle. Fred saved Amelia when the wall exploded by shoving her out of the way and taking most of the blast, which resulted in his death. Oliver found Amelia weeping over Fred's body with Percy when the smoke cleared. He pulled her away and held her tightly, shedding a tear for Fred and for his own near loss.

"I was so scared," Oliver said, through his tears. "When the wall exploded, I thought…"

"Shh," she replied. "I know. I'm right here."

When the fighting finally ended and Harry Potter defeated Voldemort, Amelia grabbed Oliver's hand and led him to Gryffindor tower and into his old dormitory. "Why are we here?" he asked.

"It was right over there," she said. "That's where I fell irrevocably in love with you. Do you know when it was?"

"No," he answered.

"Do you remember your last year, after we broke up and I stopped the fight between you and the twins?" she asked; he nodded. She continued, "I stormed in here and you sat there, drunk, and angry. I had never known how much one person could affect someone else until that moment and that was when you won my heart."

"Thanks," he sniffed. "We should get home. Mum and Da will be worried."

"They'll be alright," she reasoned. "I want to snog you for a bit before we leave." And she did. They snogged for as long as they dared until they were interrupted by others coming into the tower to catch some sleep before leaving. They decided to nap before leaving as well and went to sleep in Oliver's old bed.


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Oliver woke before Amelia did and found Percy pacing their old dormitory. "How are you, Perce?" Oliver asked.

"I've been better," Percy admitted. Amelia groaned and Oliver slipped out of bed and followed Percy to the common room.

"I'm sorry about Fred," Oliver said.

"Thanks," Percy mumbled. "How's Amelia?"

"Honestly, I think she still hasn't registered everything," Oliver replied. "We've been in hiding for months, thanks to your warning, and after we've checked in on her family I'm sure she'll realize the whole extent of everything."

"Where were you hiding?"

"We had a cottage in Scotland," Oliver replied. "George was our secret keeper since neither of us wanted to do it in case we got captured. No one would have expected George to be secret keeper for us."

"That was smart," Percy said. "What's the plan now the war's over?"

"We haven't talked about that yet," Oliver admitted. "I think the plan is to go back to Puddlemere, get her first album recorded and then consider kids."

"Isn't it a little soon for kids?" Percy was incredulous. "I mean I know you lot live together, but it's not like you're married."

"We are married, Perce," Oliver explained. "We eloped almost 2 years ago. It was just a muggle ceremony. Now that the war's over, we'll consider a wizard wedding, but I'm not sure we need or want it."

"We don't want a big wedding," Amelia said, startling them.

"Sorry if we woke you, love," Oliver said.

"You didn't and we should get going," she said. "I'll want to check in on my family and we should stop by to see your parents."

"Owl us for Fred's funeral, Perce," Oliver asked. "We'll want to be there." Percy nodded and Amelia and Oliver went to apparate back to Leeds to check in on her family.

When they arrived, they found that Amelia's parents were safe and that Mike and Jaime had gone to America to play football. "What about Jack and Brandon?" Amelia asked.

"We spoke to Jack yesterday, but we haven't heard from Brandon in a few days," Camilla explained.

"We'll go and check in on them," Oliver offered. He took Amelia's hand and they apparated to a spot near Brandon's house. They knocked on his door, but received no answer. Amelia began to worry, but Oliver performed a spell he knew that showed that no one was home.

"Do you have his mobile number?" Oliver asked.

"Yes," Amelia said.

"Let's go in the house and use their phone to call him," Oliver suggested. They used their wands to open the door and Amelia called her brother's mobile using their phone. She was able to reach him and learned that he and Maria were safe and out shopping.

"Alright," Amelia said. "We'll lock up. Sorry we broke into your house. And please, call Mum and let her know you're alright. I think we've got her a little worried. Oliver and I are going to see Jack now." She hung up the phone and let Oliver hug her for a moment before they locked the door and apparated out of the house.

They arrived at Jack's flat a few seconds later. Oliver knocked on the door, but Amelia was staring at the green symbol in the sky over the next building. When Jack answered the door, Amelia fell down in tears. "What's going on?" Jack asked, standing aside to allow Oliver to carry Amelia to the sofa.

"Our world has been at war since August," Oliver explained. "We were just checking in with everyone to make sure your family was safe. Amelia's just seen something in the sky that signals that your neighbors were killed."

"WHAT?!" Jack shouted.

"There is a green symbol in the sky that muggles can't see; only wizards can see it," Oliver stated as calmly as possible. "It's above the next building. That means that someone was killed there."

"Holy shit," Jack exclaimed. He looked at Amelia, who was shaking, and went to get her a whiskey. "For her nerves," he said, handing the glass to her.

"Thanks," she whispered; she took a sip of the drink and let the amber liquid burn her throat on the way down. "Call Mum and tell her you're o.k."

Before Amelia had finished the sentence, Jack was on the phone with his mother to tell her that he was fine. "How is Oliver's family?" he asked when he hung up.

"We're going to check in on them next," Oliver said. "We wanted to make sure you lot were safe before we did since my parents are wizards."

Oliver and Amelia spent several long minutes with her brother while she sipped her whiskey. Once it was gone, she promised Jack she would call and see him soon and they apparated away to East Kilbride to check in on his parents. "Mum! Da!" Oliver called. "Are you lot home?"

"We're here," Jane called from the kitchen. "It's good to know you survived."

"Sorry, Jane," Amelia said. "Oliver was kind enough to check in on my family first."

"Of course, dear," Edward said. "How are your family?"

"They're fine, Da," Oliver replied. "All alive and well, though Jack's neighbors weren't so lucky."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Jane said, noticing that Amelia had again sunk into the sofa and was shaking. "Oliver, why don't you lot stay here for the night?" She nodded at Amelia.

"Sure, Mum," he said. "We'd love to. Can I help with anything?"

Jane nodded towards the kitchen and Oliver followed her. "What's going on?" she asked.

"I think it's finally registering with her, everything that happened," Oliver explained. "She was nearly killed when a wall exploded, but Fred Weasley shoved her out of the way and took the brunt of it. He didn't make it." By the time he finished, Oliver had tears in his eyes. Jane handed him a cup of tea. "Cheers, Mum."

"You should take Amelia up to your room and let her lie down for a bit. Dinner won't be ready for a few hours and you lot need to rest," Jane suggested. Oliver nodded and went to get Amelia. She barely responded to anything he said, so he scooped her up and carried her upstairs.

"You're safe, love," he said, laying her gently on his bed.

"Ol?" she asked.

"I'm right here," he promised.

"Where are we?" she asked.

"We're at my parents' house. We're going to stay here until tomorrow and then we'll go collect our things from the safe house and get home," he said, quietly.

"You won't leave me?" she asked, sounding small.

"No," he promised. "Let's have a nap." He pulled her shoes off and tossed them across his room. Then, he sat on the bed, toed his own shoes off, and snuggled up next to her.

When Oliver woke, he saw Amelia sitting and staring out the window. "Are you alright?" Amelia jumped at the sudden noise and Oliver added, "Sorry."

"It's fine," she whispered. "And to answer your question, I don't know."

Oliver stood behind her and rubbed her shoulders, but kept quiet until his mother knocked and called them for tea. "Please eat," Oliver begged. Amelia nodded and let him lead her to the dining room. They ate quietly and once dinner was done, Amelia went out to the porch swing.

"It's right over there," Oliver said.

"What?" she asked.

"Where I fell completely in love with you," he answered. "It was the first time you came here and we snogged in the shed."

"Will you take me flying again?" she asked.

"Anytime, love," he promised. "Maybe not tonight, but anytime."

"Tomorrow," she said. "I want to go flying tomorrow."

"O.k. We'll go and get my broom from the stadium and see if Quidditch is back on," he suggested. "Do you want to go home tonight or stay here?"

"I want to go home," she said. "It's been so long since we've been there and I want to sleep in our bed again."

"I'll just let Mum and Da know and we can be on our way," he promised. Oliver went and told his parents that they would be staying at their flat that night and while Jane wasn't entirely thrilled with the idea, she didn't stop them from leaving.

When they landed outside their flat, they noticed the curtains billowing out of a broken window. "Do you think someone has been in there?" Amelia asked.

"It appears that they were," he mused. She shivered and he pulled her close. "We can go back to my parents' for the night if you want."

"No," she said, determined. "I want to sleep in our bed." She wanted to stay, until they got inside and found that the entire flat had been ransacked and that their bed was broken. Then, she crumbled to the floor in tears.

Oliver sat next to her and pulled her into his chest. "Love, it's going to be fine," he whispered. "I promise. We'll get everything fixed and it'll be just like it was. Look." He waved his wand and cast some repairing charms; nearly everything returned to its previous state and the furniture returned to its place.

Amelia pulled away and looked at the work Oliver had done. Even the window that had been broken was fixed. "See," he said. "Everything's better and it'll keep getting better from now on. Now, let's get to bed."

They both stripped to their underwear and climbed into bed. Amelia woke alone in the morning and threw on the closest article of clothing she could find. She joined Oliver in the kitchen where he was laboring over breakfast. "We should go back to the cottage and collect our things," she said.

"We should," he replied. "Especially since we didn't really leave clothes here and while I'm fine if we spend the rest of our lives completely starkers, I'm fairly certain you'll get cold."

"Thanks, Oliver," she said. "For everything you did yesterday. I really appreciate it."

"It's my job," he joked. "And I'm happy to do it. Now, let's eat and then we can shower before we go and fetch our things."

After breakfast, Oliver apparated them back to the cottage in Scotland where the retrieved all of their belongings and returned them home. After ensuring that their things were properly put away, Amelia let Oliver apparate them to the Puddlemere Stadium. "Do you remember the lessons from Hogwarts?" he asked.

"A bit," she answered. Oliver got them each a broom and led her onto the pitch.

"Alright, put your arm out over the broom and say 'Up,'" he ordered; she did as he suggested. "Good. Now, swing your leg over and mount your broom. Then, put your right hand in front for steering." She had done everything he told her. "You're doing fine," he promised. "Now, push off from the ground with your legs and take off."

She got about 5 feet off the ground and was hovering when Oliver joined her. "You did remember," he teased.

"Of course," she said. "I remember lots of things. Now, can we fly around the pitch?"

"Most definitely, love," he answered. "Just follow me and I promise not to go too fast." They flew around the pitch several times, increasing speed and height a little each time. When they had done several laps, Oliver rested them in front of the quidditch hoops. "Want to keep going?"

"Yes," she said. "I have a great teacher."

After a few hours, they landed and returned home. "Why did you suddenly ask to fly again?" Oliver asked while they were making dinner.

"I honestly don't know," she replied. "I guess that flying lessons is how we got to know each other to begin with and now, it seems like we should keep it up."


	32. Epilogue

**A/N: This is the last chapter for this story. I sort of ran out of places to go. I do hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it :) **

Epilogue

_Fifteen years later…_

"Jane!" Amelia shouted. "Hurry up or you'll miss the train!" She patted her swollen belly and begged the baby to calm down.

"But, Mum," Jane whined, "Grandpa Wood said I could bring my broom to school."

"Jane, you know the rules," Amelia reasoned. "And no matter what your Grandpa says, first years cannot have a broom at Hogwarts. You'll get flying lessons this year and next year you can bring a broom."

"But, I've known how to fly since I was 4," Jane argued.

"I know, love," Oliver replied, entering the room. "But when I tried to sneak in a broom during my first year, Professor McGonagall made me send it straight back to Granny and Grandpa Wood. Now, do you have everything else you need?"

"Yes, Dad," Jane said, dejected. "Are the twins coming along with us?"

"Your brothers are going with Uncle Jack for a bit," Oliver promised. "Let's go and say goodbye to them." Oliver called the 5 year old twin boys into the room. "Now, Jack and Joseph, it's time for Jane to get going."

"Bye, Janey," Jack said; he was the older twin by 5 minutes.

"Bye," Joseph said. "Dad, when you get home, can we go flying?"

"We'll see, but you lot have to be good for Uncle Jack and no magic," Oliver ordered. The twins had managed to become pranksters quite young and were known to torture their uncles.

"We promise, Dad," Joseph said, smirking.

"Wipe that smirk off your face, Joseph," Amelia ordered, "or there won't be any flying and there won't be any dessert for a week." Jack and Joseph wandered back to their Uncle Jack, grumbling audibly.

"Mum," Jane asked, quietly, "will the baby come before I'm home?"

"It's hard to say," Amelia answered. "She's not due until the end of December, but you, Jack, and Joseph were all early. I promise that if she comes before you come home, we'll bring her to visit you at Hogwarts."

"Will you leave the troublesome twosome home?" Jane begged.

"The twins may go with Gran and Papa Clark," Amelia promise. "Are you ready?"

Jane nodded and they got her things into the car to drive her to the train station. When they got there, Amelia and Oliver prodded her through the barrier and onto Platform 9 3/4 . The group stood on the platform for a few minutes until they saw Roxanne Weasley and George walking towards them. "Go on, Jane," Amelia suggested. "Roxy is your friend and we won't be disappointed."

Jane and Roxy went onto the train and found a compartment. "Did Janey try to sneak a broom into school too?" George asked.

"Of course," Oliver replied. "I wouldn't expect anything less from my daughter. She's going to be a good Chaser."

"She and Roxy can work together," Angelina suggested. "They are best mates."

"They'll have to find a third," Oliver added. Jane and George rolled their eyes while their spouses got trapped into quidditch talk.

"So, how's little Georgie?" George asked, patting Amelia's belly.

"Unless you want people to say 'George is a girl' we'll have to find a different name," Amelia replied. "Sorry mate, but we're painting a pink nursery for this one."

"No worries," George promised. "You could just call her Georgianna."

"I think we've settled on Jocelyn," Oliver said. "We're sticking with J names and I have an Aunt Jocelyn who was always my favorite. We stayed in her cottage during the war."

"Maybe next time," George teased.

"George, this is the last," Amelia said. Oliver gave her a look and she added, "When you have to carry them, we'll talk about another. Now, let's get home. You've promised the boys flying lessons."

"Do you think you'll ever tell them?"

"Tell them what?" Amelia asked.

"That you fell in love with me during flying lessons." Oliver grinned.

"Maybe one day," she replied. "Come on. Take me home before those girls over there throw themselves at you." Oliver laughed and waved politely to some Hogwarts students standing at the end of the platform, and who had been making eyes at him.

"By the way," he said. "I never told you that giving you flying lessons was the best thing I ever did."

"I thought it was marrying me and having 4 children," she joked.

"Those were good things, but the flying lessons is where I got to know you and that's what made me fall completely in love with you." He kissed her briefly and led her back to the waiting car.


End file.
